A Ukrainian teenager abducted from Russian-occupied territory was personally told by the Kremlin's children's rights commissioner, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, that "there will be no Ukraine soon" and she would be better off joining one of Moscow's youth military programs.
In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Anastasiia Chvylova said Maria Lvova-Belova β wanted by the ICC alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin on accusations for abducting Ukrainian children β told her and others that they were Russian and urged them to study in Russia or join a Russian military-patriotic youth program.
"She told us (Ukrainian children abducted by Russia) that we are Russian children, that Russia will win, that Russia is the best country ever, and that we would have more opportunities there than in Ukraine," she said.
"There will be no Ukraine soon," Lvova-Belova told the Ukrainian children, according to Chvylova.
Chvylova said she did not know at the time who Lvova-Belova was.
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Chvylova was 15 when she met Lvova-Belova. At the time, she was trapped in a Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast in 2022 and 2023, and she wanted to return home to Kherson, where her mother was waiting for her.
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Afterward, Russian occupation authorities kept Chvylova under their control, at times moved her between occupied areas, and even arranged for her brief adoption while her mother tried to find a way into the occupied territory to bring her home.
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Chvylova said Lvova-Belova visited abducted Ukrainian children from occupied territories and promoted Russian education programs.
"She came to see us and told us to go study in Russia or 'fight' in the 'Youth Army' (Yunarmiya)," Chvylova said.
The Russian military-patriotic youth organization "Youth Army" (Yunarmiya) is designed to prepare children and teenagers for service in the Russian army. Membership does not mean enlistment, but children involved in the group may later be prepared for service or recruited to fight against Ukraine.
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"I said I didn't want to go anywhere in Russia because my mom was coming soon. But they started trying to stop me and said, 'Why did she wait so long to come get you? We've been helping you; we brought you clothes and food.' And the food they brought was pork that had hair in it," [Chvylova] said.
Chvylova also said Russian military personnel were present at the meeting and offered to teach children how to operate drones.
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The ICC issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for both Lvova-Belova and Vladimir Putin, accusing them of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
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Russia is disgusting