Canada sanctions eight Russians over deported Ukrainian children as only about 2,500 of more than 20,000 have come home
Ottawa's listing bars anyone in Canada from handling the property of the eight, and it took effect a week before Ukraine's leader arrived for talks.
Canada has imposed sanctions on eight individuals in retaliation for Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children and their subsequent indoctrination and militarization, according to Ukrinform, on September 11th. This is a second Canadian package this year focusing on the issue. The measure was revealed during Ukraine's visit to Canada, which took place as Kyiv's own register counts significantly more children taken than those returned home.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Russia's president in 2023 for the act of taking children out of occupied Ukraine, and the removals contribute to an occupation school system that now educates 582,000 children a Russian curriculum. The Canadian foreign ministry lists all eight individuals who took part, either recently or earlier, in unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children, and in subjecting them to indoctrination and militarization.
The ministry published the names on September 4th, but did not specify their positions. These sanctions are administrative measures, not criminal charges, and restrict Canadians and those in Canada from dealing with listed individuals or providing them with financial services, as violation of these rules is a criminal offense. Canada has listed over 3,500 individuals and entities related to Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova in its various sanctions regulations.
The previous set included a manufacturer of armored vehicles, while the ship list reached 731 vessels in June. The Ukrainian presidential sanctions commissioner has praised Canada for being among the top countries in terms of both the quality and quantity of its sanctions decisions. While Ukraine estimates that 20,651 Ukrainian children have been deported or displaced since February 2022, only about 2,000 have been brought back through the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
Ukraine believes the actual number is higher. Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian teenagers to military-patriotic camps, occupation schools, and youth movements in occupied territories and within Russia itself. Canada has named those responsible for this work in response to the sanctions.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
