UK imposes sanctions on 85 individuals, entities over Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children
The United Kingdom is exposing and taking action at every level against Russia’s hostile and heinous activity, from its systematic campaign of forced deportation and militarization of Ukrainian children, according to a statement on the UK government website.
"Today’s sanctions are a strong step in exposing and disrupting the depths Russia is willing to go, to interfere and undermine democracy, and destroy Ukraine’s future through the abhorrent deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children," UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.
The UK government noted that today’s actions are among "the toughest measures the UK has taken to target hostile Russian activity to date, directly hitting 85 individuals and entities."
The new measures target 49 individuals working at the Social Design Agency (SDA), including authors, translators and videographers responsible for deceptive Kremlin propaganda. The SDA was tasked and funded by the Kremlin to conduct a series of interference operations aimed at undermining democracy and weakening support for Ukraine.
Among those sanctioned today for their role in the heinous policy of Russification of Ukrainian children is the Centre for Military Sports Training and Patriotic Education of Youth, known as the ‘Warrior Centre’. Here, Ukrainian children are subjected to military training and pro‑Kremlin ideology.
The sanctions list also includes Yulia Sergeevna Velichko, "minister of youth policy" of the so-called "Luhansk People’s Republic," for her role in implementing state initiatives to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children, including issuing Russian passports to children from temporarily occupied territories and organizing programs that expose them to Russian ideology.
It is also reported that the UK will provide an additional GBP 1.2 million in funding for the Verification Centre and Tracing Mechanism, helping to identify and locate Ukrainian children who have been cruelly taken from their homes.
In turn, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine noted that, of the GBP 1.2 million, GBP 600,000 is earmarked for the Verification Centre, which searches for these children and has provided significant evidence to the UN Commission of Inquiry to support its findings that Russia’s actions constitute crimes against humanity. Another GBP 600,000 will go to the Ukraine-led search programme, which is locating thousands of children illegally deported by Russia.
"It should be noted that, thanks to President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 2,133 children have been returned. Unfortunately, 1.6 million Ukrainian children still remain under Russia’s control - deported, forcibly displaced or in temporarily occupied territory," the ministry added.
