Lubinets Demands Investigation into Possible Removal of 10-year-old Girl from Kostiantynivka to Temporarily Occupied Territory
Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights, has responded to reports concerning the potential illegal removal of a 10-year-old girl from Kostiantynivka to the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
According to Lubinets, Russian media circulated a video featuring the child, who, as claimed by the Russian side, was taken to occupied territory. Following these reports, the Ombudsman promptly sent a request to the Donetsk Regional Military Administration to ascertain all circumstances and is awaiting official information.
Why the child remained in the combat zone
Dmytro Lubinets emphasised the primary need to determine why the 10-year-old child was in an area subjected to daily Russian shelling.
He stressed that the frontline is not a suitable place for children and that the legally mandated mechanism of forced evacuation should be implemented proactively. This applies even without the consent of parents or other legal representatives if it is necessary to safeguard the child.
The Ombudsman also stated that it is crucial to verify whether all necessary measures were taken to protect the child and whether responsible officials were derelict in their duty or delayed action. Meanwhile, the search for the girl's relatives continues.
Forced evacuation of children
Lubinets noted that his representative in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Dmytro Mykhaliov, had repeatedly appealed for the implementation of forced evacuation for families with children from settlements facing a direct threat to their lives.
According to the Ombudsman, they were informed that evacuation was planned to commence after the end of the school year. However, he pointed out that it is already July, and the evacuation has not yet been carried out.
As an example of the danger, he cited the death of a 14-year-old boy and his 18-year-old sister as a result of Russian shelling in Kramatorsk.
Lubinets acknowledged that some parents conceal children from evacuation, refuse to leave, or return to frontline cities after evacuation. Nevertheless, he stated that the legal mechanism of forced evacuation is specifically designed for such cases, making it imperative to locate these families and utilise all available opportunities to save the children.
"Russia systematically kidnaps Ukrainian children"
The Ombudsman underscored that since 2014, Russia has systematically abducted Ukrainian children, characterising this as state policy and a war crime.
"We have long been sounding the alarm: every day of delay is a chance given to Russia to take away another Ukrainian child," Lubinets said.
He stressed that every instance where a child remains without proper protection in conditions of mortal danger must undergo a principled legal assessment. Inaction or delay cannot be justified if there was an opportunity to save the child.
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