Netherlands to supply Ukraine with DNA tests to identify Ukrainian children abducted by Russia
Photo: Gwara Media
The Netherlands will supply Ukraine with DNA express test kits to help identify Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and reunite them with their families.
The Dutch foreign minister said this in a statement shared with journalists, Ukrinform reports.
What is the problem?
According to Ukrainian authorities' official data, as of August 31, 2023, 19,546 children have been abducted and deported from Ukraine to Russia since February 24, 2022.
Russia has already adopted 386 Ukrainian children who were illegally taken from the occupied Ukrainian territories by the Russian forces.
Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot met on Thursday with Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, and President Zelensky's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, Daria Hrasymchuk.
"Russia kidnapped thousands of Ukrainian children after invading Ukraine. This is a deliberate tactic of unprecedented cruelty that destroys families," said Bruins Slot during the meeting.
What is the solution?
The Netherlands wants to supply Ukraine with rapid DNA test kits to speed up the identification of children kidnapped by Russia, Bruins Slot said in a statement.
"These children should not be forgotten. It is extremely important that they are reunited with their families. The Netherlands can help Ukraine by providing kits for DNA analysis," the Dutch foreign minister said.
How does it work?
The tests can help identify children who were successfully returned from Russia by DNA samples. By entering the samples into a special DNA database, the Ukrainian authorities can more quickly compare children's data with their family members' data.
Mobile DNA laboratories will need only two hours to conduct a DNA test on children who are returned to Ukraine. Conventional DNA laboratories currently do not have the capacity to perform the large number of DNA tests required for family reunification.
Thanks to the "DNA Reunification" project, Ukraine can also collect evidence on child abduction, which will allow prosecution of this war crime in the courts, particularly in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.
The Netherlands is developing steps to combat child abduction worldwide in consultation with countries including Germany and Ukraine. The Netherlands has already raised the issue in various multilateral forums and is also encouraging fact-finding by impartial international investigative committees, for example, through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The Netherlands recommends including persons involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children on the EU sanctions list. Fighting impunity for those responsible for these illegal deportations is a priority for the Netherlands, the minister stressed.
During the press conference, the children told their stories of returning home to journalists, accompanied by Dmytro Lubinets and Daria Herasymchuk.
Today, the leadership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will meet with the children released from Russian captivity.
Rubryka reported that the International Criminal Court opened its office in Kyiv on Thursday. The ICC staff, which has been working on rotation in Ukraine since May 2023, will move to the court's new field office.
