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Graham-Led Subcommittee to Probe Reports of Ukrainian Children Taken to Russia

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee chaired by Sen. Lindsey Graham will hold a Dec. 3 hearing to review allegations that Ukrainian children were taken to Russia during the war. Witnesses include Ukrainian Ambassador Olha Stefanishyna and child-recovery advocates Mykola Kuleba and Maksym Maksymov. Earlier testimony and Ukrainian trackers put the numbers at more than 13,000 and over 19,000 respectively, though figures vary. The hearing will explore accountability, repatriation and possible U.S. responses.

03:27 AM, 11/27/2025Conflict

A Senate Appropriations subcommittee chaired by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will hold a hearing on Dec. 3 to examine reports that Ukrainian children were removed to Russia during the invasion. Lawmakers will hear from diplomats and child-recovery advocates as they review allegations of abductions and forced relocations.

The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs has invited several witnesses, including Ukrainian Ambassador Olha Stefanishyna, Mykola Kuleba of the Save Ukraine organization, and Maksym Maksymov of the Bring Kids Back group.

Ukrainian officials and rights groups say the Kremlin has overseen the removal of children from territories affected by the war. In testimony to the U.S. Helsinki Commission in December 2022, Mykola Kuleba said Ukrainian authorities had tracked more than 13,000 children taken during the invasion, many of them relocated under the pretext of evacuation.

“Children were removed amid the invasion often under the guise of an alleged evacuation,” Kuleba said in 2022.

Kuleba has also asserted that Russian authorities have provided incentives tied to adoption and resettlement — including a one-time “maternity capital” payment and ongoing state support — and said adoptive parents were paid roughly $300 per year for each child and about $2,000 annually for children with disabilities.

In August, First Lady Melania Trump sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging action to protect children affected by the conflict. In her Aug. 15 letter she wrote: “Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart... They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.” She called on Putin to consider the welfare of children reported deported from Ukraine.

Ukrainian government trackers put the number of reported deportations at more than 19,000, while acknowledging that the actual figure could be higher. The numbers cited in various forums differ because of differing definitions, reporting methods and the extreme difficulties of documenting movements during wartime.

Officials in the current U.S. administration have reportedly engaged with Moscow in hopes of negotiating a broader settlement, and President Trump has directed a special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to explore prospects in Moscow. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are debating what steps — diplomatic, legal and humanitarian — could be taken to locate, identify and repatriate missing children.

The Dec. 3 hearing will give U.S. lawmakers an opportunity to question witnesses, assess evidence, and consider policy responses focused on accountability, repatriation and support for affected families.

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