Russia Returns Several Ukrainian Children in Qatar-Brokered Deal

Qatar announced Monday the reunification of a group of Ukrainian children with their families, a start on the return of some of the thousands of children Ukraine says Russia forcibly took after launching its invasion in February 2022.

The repatriations took place after months of talks brokered by Qatar.

Officials familiar with the matter said four children, ages 2 to 17, were being reunited under an arrangement that could lead to more repatriations.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State of Qatar facilitated the hosting of the children and their families at the Qatari Embassy in Moscow during the operation and accompanied them to their destination, ensuring their safety, comfort, and well-being,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging he was “responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation” of children from Ukraine.

Russian attacks

Ukraine’s military said Monday that Russia attacked overnight with five missiles and 12 drones.

The Ukrainian air force said it downed two of the missiles, which targeted the northern and eastern part of the Ukraine, as well as 11 of the drones.

Filip Pronin, the governor of the Poltava region in eastern Ukraine, said on Telegram that missile fragments hit several homes and injured at least three people.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.