Ukrainian children illegally taken by Russian occupiers to the territory of the Russian Federation, including orphans and children whose parents died as a result of Russian aggression, may be illegally transferred for adoption in Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine says.

"The threat of illegal adoption of Ukrainian children by Russian citizens without observing all the necessary procedures determined by the legislation of Ukraine is egregious. In this context, information about the intention of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation to sign with the Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions - the so-called 'L/ DPR'- 'agreements' that would allow the transfer of orphans illegally deported from the territory of Ukraine to Russian families," the statement released by the press service of the Foreign Ministry reads.

The ministry indicated that, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the states that are parties to this international treaty, incl. Russia and Ukraine, are obliged to take measures to combat the illegal movement and non-return of children from abroad.

"The Kremlin's attempts to provide 'legitimate' grounds for its criminal actions on the territory of Ukraine are a cynical disregard for the fundamental rules and customs of warfare and universally recognized human rights," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict and Violence against Children with a request to take urgent measures for the return of Ukrainian children to the territory of Ukraine.