Russian forces take Ukrainians to remote regions to solve their demographic problems - Ombudsman Lubinets

The ombudsman said this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

According to the official, the reason for deporting Ukrainian citizens as far away from the Ukrainian border as possible is not only a considerable distance. In this way, Russia is trying to solve the demographic problem.

"They want to close this problem: 'We brought you here, that's it, now you are somewhere in the barracks, working, we are helping you somehow,'" Lubinets explained.

The official emphasized that the displaced Ukrainians realize that it will be difficult for them to leave Russia without money and documents. Men may be subject to mobilization, and they are looking for military professions for women. 

"Although I can admit that those who really have a strong desire to get out of there can do it. And they do. Or they just haven't found the information on how to do it yet, which even we can't help. Contact us in any way, send a signal that you need help. And we are ready to do it," the Ombudsman added.

"Ukraine has an established mechanism for returning citizens home," Lubinets said. Meanwhile, the enemy is doing everything possible to keep as many Ukrainians as possible in Russia.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the most disgusting Russian crime is the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, which could be tens of thousands.

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk appealed to Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova and asked for lists of Ukrainian orphans in the occupied territories who had been deported to Russia.

On March 1, Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights, reported that the Russian Federation had deported more than 1.5 million Ukrainian children to its territory since the beginning of its aggression against Ukraine.