U.S. Senate held a dedicated hearing, “The Abduction of Ukrainian Children by the Russian Federation”

On December 3, the U.S. Senate held a dedicated hearing, “The Abduction of Ukrainian Children by the Russian Federation”, chaired by Senator Lindsey Graham.

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar, together with Representatives Michael McCaul and Brian Fitzpatrick, spoke about Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children and the need for concrete U.S. action.

The second panel heard testimony from Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna, Mykola Kuleba (Save Ukraine), Maksym Maksymov (Bring Kids Back UA), Kateryna Rashevska (Regional Center for Human Rights), and Nathaniel Raymond (Yale Humanitarian Research Lab).

All speakers underscored the same core truth: the unconditional return of every abducted Ukrainian child is a non-negotiable starting point for any just peace. Russia’s abductions are a deliberate state policy that seeks to erase Ukrainian identity, violate international law, and weaponize children to change borders.

Witnesses described how children are re-registered, given new citizenship, subjected to propaganda and militarized programs, and pressured to reject their families and country – leaving deep trauma even after they return.

Bring Kids Back UA was highlighted as Ukraine’s national framework for tracing, returning, and reintegrating these children. Senators stressed that sustained U.S. leadership is vital to hold Russia accountable and to bring every child home.