Belarusian Red Cross admits they helped take children out of Ukraine "for rehabilitation" – some do not return

Belarusian politician and diplomat Pavel Latushko told the Russian opposition channel Dozhd about this, Meduza writes.

He noted that the deported orphans simply "disappear". How many children never returned to Ukraine is currently unknown.

“The latest information is about the orphans who didn't come back to Ukraine's occupied territory. They disappeared and got lost in the Russian Federation. We don't have more details on their current whereabouts," he said. 

The occupation authorities claim that children from orphanages are taken to Belarus for "rehabilitation."

The head of the Belarusian Red Cross Society, Dmitry Shevtsov, reacted to this statement and called it an "accusation" of Belarus.

"I felt extremely angry when I heard people accusing Belarus of kidnapping children who come to us for help. I believe these accusations are baseless, and it upsets me deeply. The Belarusian Red Cross is actively involved in assisting these children and will continue to do so," said Shevtsov.

He mentioned that in Belarus, they give gifts to children and try to help them forget the horrors of war. Shevtsov dismissed the accusations and expressed his concern that these allegations might be directed towards the Belarusian Red Cross.

"I didn't want the reputation of our country, the Belarusian Red Cross, or the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent movement to be tarnished in the world. That's why I came here immediately to show everyone our work," he added while visiting the temporarily occupied Donbas.

The head of the Belarusian Red Cross emphasized the importance of maintaining “their positive image globally”.

According to the Dzerkalo publication, during a previous visit to occupied Ukrainian territories, Shevtsov was seen wearing camouflage with a letter Z on his sleeve, which goes against the Red Cross's requirement for members to remain neutral. The International Committee of the Red Cross is currently investigating the incident.

• In May, it was revealed that Ukraine is investigating Belarus's possible involvement in forcibly deporting children from the temporarily occupied territories. Criminal proceedings have been initiated.

• Radio Svoboda journalists produced an investigative film about how in the spring of 2022, the Russian army, along with representatives of the DPR group, forcibly deported 31 Ukrainian children to Russia.