Author:
Mariia Kucova
On April 29th, the Lithuanian Parliament, known as the Seimas, held hearings on the war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation, which included Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the “OPORA” Civil Network, her colleagues, Olha Tymchenko, the Chief Communications Officer of the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation, and Valeriia, a 17-year-old who had come back after being deported by Russia, presented their testimonies to the parliamentarians.
The Russians stole 1.5 years of my childhood. I had to grow up much too soon. Instead of ‘liberation’, Russia inflicted chronic stress disorder on me,
— the girl declared.
— the girl declared.
The event was supported by Olena Kondratyuk, Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas. The International Center for Ukrainian Victory and Ukreate Hub were also among the organizers.
Lithuanians and Ukrainians Share Common Experiences
The meeting was initiated by Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas. She observed that in the third year of the large-scale war in Ukraine, the news doesn't shock people as much as it did initially, though the events are no less painful.
We understand the impact of deportation on a society, a country, and individual families, so we don't need explanations. However, it's challenging to convey this to colleagues from countries, particularly those further away without our historical experience, making it difficult for them to believe that such things can still happen, especially in the 21st century,
— stated the head of the Lithuanian Parliament.
— stated the head of the Lithuanian Parliament.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen emphasized the importance of raising awareness about Ukrainian children deported to Russia and promised to do everything possible to expedite their return.
The Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), Olena Kondratyuk, addressed the audience in an online format. She pointed out that 130,000 Lithuanians had undergone deportation, making them uniquely empathetic to the current struggles of Ukrainians.
Deportations were a criminal tactic employed by the Soviet Union that devastated the lives of many nations. Russia has effectively adopted this method,
— added the Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
— added the Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
During the large-scale war, the aggressor country deported between 3 and 5 million Ukrainians. Among them, children represent a significant group — with official data indicating that there are 19,500 such children. To date, only 388 children have been returned.
Discussing the Russian Deportation Experience Firsthand
The Lithuanian Seimas also heard from 17-year-old Valeriia, who was rescued from deportation. An orphan from Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, Valeriia's hometown was militarily occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the large-scale invasion. As Ukrainian troops advanced towards the city a year later, the occupiers declared an "evacuation" and transported Valeriia with other children to occupied Crimea, ostensibly for two weeks.
During their deportation, Ukrainian children were forced to sing the Russian national anthem and were taught distorted historical narratives in order to erase their national identity. Moreover, the military occupiers encouraged these children to relocate to Russia, acquire Russian passports, and enroll in local universities.
We were completely treated as children of the Russian Federation. They completely erased the fact that we are Ukrainians,
— shared Valeriia.
— shared Valeriia.
Valeriia spent two months in deportation before her grandmother was able to bring her back. Later, she moved to a region under Ukrainian control on her own. Now, she lives in Kyiv and is pursuing her studies remotely at a medical college. She continues to work through her traumatic experiences with the help of a psychologist from the “Voices of Children” Foundation.
How Lithuania Can Help Ukraine
The effects of war can last for decades, necessitating an increase in the number of professionals in Ukraine — psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Given that the war is ongoing it the state, and unable to address this need, the responsibility falls on the civic sector.
The “Voices of Children” Charitable Foundation plays a crucial role in providing psychological support to families. Olha Tymchenko, the Chief Communications Officer of the organization, pointed out that for the past five years, their team has been delivering a comprehensive range of psychological and psychosocial services to strengthen the endurance and resilience of children and their parents.
Over a hundred of our psychologists in 15 Centers across the country provide daily support to children grappling with the horrors of war. Every month, we help 1,000 children in our Centers. We encounter profound grief every day, the kind of deep sorrow that the children themselves speak of,
— Olha Tymchenko explained.
— Olha Tymchenko explained.
She urged Lithuanian parliamentarians to support the “Voices of Children” Foundation and similar organizations.
Please support our pursuit of independence and freedom. This is our common goal,
— Olha Tymchenko stressed.
— Olha Tymchenko stressed.
Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the Civic Network "OPORA", described to the Lithuanian parliamentarians the genocidal nature of Russia's war in Ukraine and emphasized the critical importance of documenting war crimes for future legal proceedings.
The senior political and military leaders of the Russian Federation must be held accountable. Together, we can exert maximum effort to establish a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression, support investigations at the ICC (International Criminal Court), and document war crimes among witnesses and victims living in Ukraine, as well as in other foreign jurisdictions. We aim to inform our partners based on facts, not emotions, providing them with data and evidence of the grave crimes committed by Russians,
— asserts Olha Aivazovska.
— asserts Olha Aivazovska.
Since the onset of the large-scale invasion, the Russian army has been grossly violating children's rights during armed conflicts, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1261:
- killing and maiming;
- the recruitment of children and their deployment in armed conflict in violation of international law;
- rape and other forms of sexual violence;
- kidnapping and forced displacement;
- attacks on schools and hospitals;
- denying access to humanitarian aid.
Moreover, Russia is attempting to annihilate the Ukrainian political nation by depopulating through widespread attacks on energy infrastructure, systematically erasing Ukrainian national identity, and militarizing the educational process in occupied territories.
This will have irreversible consequences for future generations, so it is crucial to bring an end to this aggressive and acquisitive story as soon as possible,
— concluded Olha Aivazovska.
— concluded Olha Aivazovska.
During the event, a short film titled “What Have We Lost”, created by teenage beneficiaries of the “Voices of Children” Foundation, was also screened.
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