%0 Journal Article
%@ 0344-3094
%A Ioffe, Yulia
%D 2024
%F discovery:10189027
%J German Yearbook of International Law
%K Children, Ukraine, Forcible Transfer, Russia's imperialism, colonialism, indoctrination, deportation, genocide
%T Forcible Transfers of Ukrainian Children: Indoctrination as a Tool of Russia’s Imperialism
%U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10189027/
%X In the wake of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, reports have surfaced, indicating the  systematic and widespread forcible transfers of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied  territories to Russia. Mounting evidence suggests Russia's efforts to indoctrinate these  children and erode their national identity are reminiscent of historical colonial practices.  Although not unique to Russia, forcible child transfers have historical precedents globally.  Understanding this history is essential for comprehensively addressing genocide, particularly,  as defined in Article II (e) of the Genocide Convention. This article explores the  classification of forcible child transfers as a form of genocide, with a focus on the Ukrainian  context. Examining the impact of colonial powers on the drafting of the Genocide  Convention, this article sheds light on the limitations of international law, particularly the law  of genocide, which hinders the legal challenge of colonial violence within its framework. It  analyses the challenges in establishing genocidal intent for forcible transfer of children and  the role of indoctrination in facilitating the biological absorption of one group into another.  Additionally, it provides a historical overview of Russia's colonial practices, drawing parallel  with present-day transfers. The article concludes by examining the ongoing forcible transfers  of Ukrainian children to Russia, highlighting Russia's policies on re-education and military  training as tools to dissolve the national Ukrainian identity and absorb Ukrainian children  into the Russian population.
%Z This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.