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Four Ukrainian children abducted from occupied territories in early 2022 were identified on a Russian government-linked adoption website (usynovite.ru/adopt.ru) using image recognition and public records.

Verified Independently confirmed by 3 sources
Kyiv Post Kyiv Independent Ukrinform

Multiple high-reliability sources confirm the core facts of this event.

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What each source reports. "Source tone" reflects the language used by the outlet — it is not an independent verification.

Kyiv Post → Source tone: certain

Four Ukrainian children, aged 8-15, abducted from occupied territories in early 2022 were found listed for adoption on a Russian government-linked website

Kyiv Independent → Source tone: certain

Four children who were abducted and deported to Russia at the beginning of the full-scale invasion were possibly put up for adoption on a government-linked adoption site

Kyiv Independent → Source tone: certain

At least 19,500 children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Kyiv Independent → Source tone: certain

Less than 400 of the abducted children have returned home

Ukrinform → Source tone: certain

Photos and data of Ukrainian children who were abducted and taken to Russia in the first months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 are posted on adoption websites by the occupiers.

Ukrinform → Source tone: certain

One child is pictured with a new Russian name and age, which differ from those listed in their Ukrainian state documents.

Ukrinform → Source tone: certain

Another child is depicted with a Russian version of a Ukrainian name.

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Extraction metadata

Extracted: 2026-02-23T15:07:56.573Z

Source story: 34201