Russia is not only trying to seize Ukrainian territories, but is also systematically destroying the demographic and cultural foundation of the Ukrainian state. Through massive shelling of civilian infrastructure, the forced removal of children, educational indoctrination, and the exploitation of migration flows, the Kremlin is trying to break the social resilience of Ukrainian society and sow a long-term identity and demographic crisis.
The text is based on the report “Stolen Generation: a Systematic Violation of Ukraine’s Future“
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Demographic crisis and loss of human capital
Over the three years of full-scale aggression, Ukraine’s population has fallen by almost a quarter: from around 41 million in 2021 to 31 million as of early 2025, including the occupied territories. The massive shelling of schools, hospitals and residential areas is making regions uninhabitable, accelerating the exodus of civilians and deepening the gap between generations raised abroad and those who stayed at home.
The consequences of this demographic collapse go beyond a decline in population: the healthcare system is collapsing, the birth rate is declining (from 12.2 per thousand in 2014 to 7.9 in 2021), and the working-age population is shrinking. Restoring economic and social stability after the war will require not only rebuilding infrastructure, but also the return and reintegration of millions of citizens, including those who have lost contact with their homeland.
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Forced removal and assimilation of children
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian authorities have recorded almost 20,000 confirmed cases of forced deportation or transfer of children to Russia and Belarus, although some estimates reach hundreds of thousands. Children are taken away under the pretext of summer camps, medical evacuation or “recreation”, then registered as Russian citizens, have their documents changed and are placed in foster care or boarding schools.
Parents who defend the right to return their children face refusals from Russian authorities, threats and lack of access to legal aid. International humanitarian organisations have been involved in the return of the first eight hundred children, but for thousands of others, the procedure remains uncertain and extremely traumatic.
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Educational indoctrination in the occupied regions
In the occupied regions, Russia has introduced the “Crimean scenario” of cultural and linguistic displacement: Ukrainian textbooks are confiscated, teaching in the native language is prohibited, and a distorted Russian history is imposed. Schools have organised “cadet” classes and youth circles with mandatory ideological tests, and teachers who refuse to cooperate are fired or persecuted.
This approach turns educational institutions into centres of propaganda and prepares children to participate in future hostilities. Some schoolchildren are forced to attend classes during the day and secret online Ukrainian lessons at night, risking exposure during inspections.
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Refugee vulnerability and human trafficking
More than 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees have been registered in Europe, over 90% of them women and children. In the first months of the invasion, humanitarian corridors were poorly protected and anti-trafficking mechanisms had not yet been put in place. Criminal networks took advantage of this and used fake job advertisements and “helpers” – so-called “spotters” – to transport victims abroad.
Despite the official statistics, numerous organisations say that the scale of human trafficking among Ukrainians is significantly underestimated, which threatens to exacerbate trauma and further break down family ties.
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Legal impunity and failures of international law
International humanitarian law has not provided an effective mechanism to counter the forced removal of children and deportation of civilians. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for these crimes, but Russia does not recognise their jurisdiction and has blocked any attempts to enforce the decisions through its veto in the UN.
International humanitarian organisations in some cases assist with repatriation, but their activities remain politically dependent on the permission of the occupiers, leading to delays and suppression of family initiatives.
Challenges of reintegration and repatriation
Returned children are often confused: they have lost the ability to speak Ukrainian, are afraid of official structures and demonstrate allegiance to the aggressor. The process of repatriation is complicated by the need to cross the borders with Belarus or Crimea, the high risk of arrest and interrogation, and the lack of agreed international standards makes assistance fragmented.
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Strategic consequences of hybrid warfare
It is clear that the deportation and assimilation of children is not an accidental consequence of the war, but part of the Kremlin’s demographic strategy aimed at eroding Ukrainian national identity. The seizure of schools, altered documents and propaganda camps for children constitute cultural violence on the level of genocide.
In the absence of effective international mechanisms and the West’s willingness to support Ukraine in the long term, this crisis could escalate into a “great war” of intergenerational continuity – a struggle not for borders but for the very essence of Ukrainian society.
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