Russia has returned six children to Ukraine with the help of Qatari mediators, Russian state mediareported Wednesday.A video shared by the state-run TASS news agency showed the Qatari Ambassador in Moscow Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani shaking hands with the children, ages six to 17, at Qatars embassy.
According to TASS,representatives from Russias presidential commissioner for childrens rights were also in attendance.Since July 2023, Qatar has helpedbring back scores of Ukrainian children taken to Russia and occupied territories during the war.Kyiv believes Moscow has illegally taken more than 19,000 Ukrainian children since the full-scale invasion, accusations that the Russian authorities deny.
Fewer than 400 children have been returned to Ukraine so far.
And last month, Kyiv, through Qatari mediators,passedMoscow a list of 561 children whose return Ukrainian authorities are seeking.In March 2023, theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Russias presidential commissioner for childrens rights Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine.