By Canadian Press

Russian ‘architect’ of Ukraine child abduction scheme sanctioned by Canada

Aug 25, 2022 | 2:45 PM

OTTAWA — Canada has sanctioned a Russian woman whom the foreign affairs minister’s office alleges is the architect of a scheme to abduct Ukrainian children and facilitate their adoption into Russian homes. 

The federal government has imposed sanctions on Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, who has been accused by Ukraine of organizing the removal of children from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Canada says her country is trying hard to get children abducted by Russia back.

Thousands of children have been transported to Russia from the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, including from orphanages.

Adrien Blanchard, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, says targeting children and in many cases orphans is diabolical and cannot go unpunished. 

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He says Lvova-Belova is the architect of the system which has inflicted pain on thousands of Ukrainian children and families. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2022. 

The Canadian Press