Author:
Yuliia Didenko
On December 5, two parallel events took place in The Hague as part of the 24th Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court. At both panels, the voices of Ukrainian children and experts about violence, deportation, and the fight for justice were heard. Liza, supported by our Foundation, and Alla Perfetska, advocacy coordinator, represented Voices of Children.
The panel “Children and International Crimes: Rethinking Accountability Through the Eyes of the Youngest Victims,” organized by Legal Action Worldwide with the support of the United Kingdom, brought together diplomats, prosecutors from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and representatives of international organizations. Young people from four countries—Ukraine, Palestine, Myanmar, and Sudan—shared testimonies of war crimes. Among them was Liza, whom our Foundation supports in coping with the experience of occupation.
At the same time, the Ukrainian-led event “Vanished Voices: The Plight of Missing Children from Ukraine, Sudan, and Syria,” organized jointly by Ukraine and Global Rights Compliance, was taking place. The panel focused on one of the most acute global crises—the disappearance of children in armed conflicts. Alla Perfetska spoke about the consequences of Russia’s forced deportation of children.
Two Years Under Russian Occupation: Fear of Explosions and Violence
Liza is 18 years old. She is from Oleshky in the Kherson region. It is a city that has been under occupation since March 2022. She boarded a plane for the first time in her life and flew to the Netherlands to tell the world what childhood looks like under Russian occupation. When Russian forces seized her city, Liza was fourteen years old. She and her family spent the first months of the war in the basement of their own home without electricity, gas, or heating.
In the summer of 2022, people with pro-Ukrainian views began to disappear in Oleshky. This is how Russian forces took away the father of Liza’s friend. Russian soldiers also came to Liza’s home twice, and both times, she and her sister hid in a wardrobe. In Oleshky, people knew of cases when girls were taken straight off the streets. Some never returned; some later gave birth. Fear of sexual violence became the teenager’s greatest terror.
In the summer of 2022, people with pro-Ukrainian views began to disappear in Oleshky. This is how Russian forces took away the father of Liza’s friend. Russian soldiers also came to Liza’s home twice, and both times, she and her sister hid in a wardrobe. In Oleshky, people knew of cases when girls were taken straight off the streets. Some never returned; some later gave birth. Fear of sexual violence became the teenager’s greatest terror.
In the evenings, the Russians drank heavily and wandered around town with assault rifles. Eventually, we stopped going outside once it started getting dark. And during the day, Mom let us out only if we were poorly dressed—in old pants, in rags—so we wouldn’t look attractive,
Filtration at a Checkpoint: Interrogation and Pressure While Leaving Occupation
In January 2024, Liza, her mother, and her sister decided to leave. The journey to Ukrainian-controlled territory lasted four days and passed through twenty Russian checkpoints. At one of them, in Novoazovsk, Liza and her mother were taken off the bus for “filtration.”
I have never lied so much in my life as I did in those four hours,
Today, Liza lives in Kyiv, studies psychology, and works extensively to pay rent and support her mother and sister. But her thoughts remain in Oleshky. Almost every night, she dreams of her father, her home, her street. She also has nightmares in which Russian soldiers enter the house and abuse her family.
I never want to feel the fear I felt during those two years ever again,
Ukraine at the ICC: The Fight for Justice for Children Living Through War
The Vanished Voices event was opened by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Andrii Kostin. Ukraine’s participation in such discussions has gained particular significance since January 1, 2025, when the International Criminal Court officially recognized Ukraine as a State Party to the Rome Statute.
Special attention during the session was given to children separated from their families. Our beneficiary Yaroslav provided video testimony about the experiences of children living under occupation: the destruction of family ties, restrictions on freedom of movement, and the long-term consequences of forced separation. His testimony offered more profound insight into the reality of life in affected communities and into the documentation efforts required for accountability processes.
Alla Perfetska focused on the psychological consequences of deportation. She emphasized a key distinction of Ukraine’s experience: in this war, Ukrainian children are not incidental victims; they are a deliberate target of Russian aggressors. Their lives, identities, and families are consciously destroyed, fragmented, and erased. The erosion of identity is one of the most severe long-term consequences of deportation and the clearest evidence that Ukrainian children are being deliberately attacked on a psychological and cultural level.
Special attention during the session was given to children separated from their families. Our beneficiary Yaroslav provided video testimony about the experiences of children living under occupation: the destruction of family ties, restrictions on freedom of movement, and the long-term consequences of forced separation. His testimony offered more profound insight into the reality of life in affected communities and into the documentation efforts required for accountability processes.
Alla Perfetska focused on the psychological consequences of deportation. She emphasized a key distinction of Ukraine’s experience: in this war, Ukrainian children are not incidental victims; they are a deliberate target of Russian aggressors. Their lives, identities, and families are consciously destroyed, fragmented, and erased. The erosion of identity is one of the most severe long-term consequences of deportation and the clearest evidence that Ukrainian children are being deliberately attacked on a psychological and cultural level.
One teenager recently told our psychologist: ‘I no longer know what I’m allowed to believe in.’ Another, after returning from Russia, said: ‘I just want to feel like myself again,’
Russia’s state policy of mass child deportation has resulted in at least 19,546 documented cases, with the real number likely much higher. Children are illegally placed for adoption in Russian families or sent to so-called re-education camps. The impact on families and communities left in uncertainty and grief is devastating. To ensure these wounds do not remain invisible, the Voices of Children team supports affected children and their families every day.
A ‘child of war’ is when you lose childhood itself, that sense of lightness and safety. I would say it’s not about being given the status of a ‘child of war,’ but about having the status of a child taken away from you,
She described in detail how the psychological support model works for children who have returned from deportation. Voices of Children developed this model based on its own experience and expertise. The Foundation’s work begins within the first hours or days after a child returns to Ukrainian-controlled territory. The team brings together psychologists, social workers, case managers, and child protection specialists.
The model operates on two interconnected levels. The first is direct work with the child: trauma-informed therapy, stabilization techniques, play and creative therapy for younger children, and identity restoration for adolescents. The second level involves working with the environment, including parents, guardians, schools, local communities, and social services.
The Foundation trains adults to understand what a child has been through, how trauma manifests, and how to support the child without stigmatization or pressure. Reintegration is a long-term process that often requires 3–5 years of professional support. The child’s own voice is always at the center of our work.
The model operates on two interconnected levels. The first is direct work with the child: trauma-informed therapy, stabilization techniques, play and creative therapy for younger children, and identity restoration for adolescents. The second level involves working with the environment, including parents, guardians, schools, local communities, and social services.
The Foundation trains adults to understand what a child has been through, how trauma manifests, and how to support the child without stigmatization or pressure. Reintegration is a long-term process that often requires 3–5 years of professional support. The child’s own voice is always at the center of our work.
Today, I’m standing here not to be pitied. I’m here to be heard, so you know what is happening to children in occupied territories right now,
Her story is one of thousands. But each must be heard for the world to grasp the scale of the tragedy, help stop war crimes, and hold those responsible to account.
If you or your child needs support, please contact our centers across Ukraine or our support helpline: 0 800 210 106. You can support the Foundation’s work by making a donation or sharing our updates.
If you or your child needs support, please contact our centers across Ukraine or our support helpline: 0 800 210 106. You can support the Foundation’s work by making a donation or sharing our updates.
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