Six Ukrainian children kidnapped during the invasion have now been reunited with their families outside

The group of children between the ages of 8 and 15 is the second group to be repatriated as part of an agreement between the two countries. In October, four minors were able to return to their families.

Doha will continue to mediate between Moscow and Kiev to facilitate reunification. Qatar said: “It is a pleasure to make some families happy, especially with the end of the year celebrations approaching.”

The children are still present at the Qatari embassy in Moscow. From there they leave for Kiev via Minsk. Qatari diplomats accompany them to the Ukrainian border. Some already have their mothers by their side.

One of the children is the 11-year-old son of a Ukrainian soldier who remains detained in Russia. He will be taken care of by his aunt.

Ukraine accuses Russia of deporting about 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of “illegal deportation” of thousands of Ukrainian children since February 2022. The Kremlin rejects these charges and claims it wants to protect children from fighting.