Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-installed "governor of Kherson Oblast", and two staff members of the Kherson Professional Shipbuilding Lyceum (specialised secondary school) have been served with a notice of suspicion over the illegal transfer of three children from Kherson Oblast to Crimea under the pretext of "recuperation".
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General ; Bring Kids Back UA , a Ukrainian government-led effort to bring Ukrainian children home from temporarily Russian-occupied territories
Details: The teenagers have since been brought back to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
In October 2022, Saldo ordered the occupation administration's so-called "Ministry of Education" to arrange the transfer of children from Kherson Oblast to Crimea under the pretext of "recuperation".
The "ministry" issued an order for school holidays, and heads of educational institutions were instructed to arrange "recuperation" for pupils.
On 7 October 2022, three minors from the Kherson Professional Shipbuilding Lyceum were taken to Crimea. The school's director prepared the documents, while a vocational training instructor accompanied the children. Their parents had not consented to the "recuperation".
The children were placed at the Druzhba children's camp in Yevpatoriia. They were later transferred to another camp. After the "holidays", they did not return home. Instead, in January 2023, they were enrolled at the Kerch Maritime Technical College without their parents' consent.
"The teenagers were involved in military-patriotic activities, exposed to Russian propaganda and had a Russian identity imposed on them," the Prosecutor's Office said.
One of the children had a severe form of diabetes and was admitted to intensive care in Yevpatoriia because of an insulin shortage. He spent about three weeks in hospital.
All three children have now been brought back to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Saldo, the deputy director and the vocational training instructor at the Kherson Professional Shipbuilding Lyceum have been served with a notice of suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of people acting in prior collusion (Articles 28. 2 and 438. 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They face up to 12 years in prison.
Background: Five children and young people were recently brought back from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
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