Britain has sanctioned a group of Russian officials and organisations linked to the abduction and re-education of Ukrainian children, in what London called a systematic attempt to erase Ukraine’s cultural identity.
Eight individuals and three groups were named in the sanctions list, including Aymani Kadyrova, mother of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and her Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. Others include Russian education ministry official Anastasia Akkuratova, Chechen commander Zamid Chalayev, and senior officials from Tatarstan.
The UK move comes amid international outrage over Moscow’s deportation of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022. Around 6,000 are believed to have been sent to re-education camps.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the measures send a clear signal: “To take a child from their home and seek to forcibly erase their heritage and upbringing through lies and disinformation can never be tolerated.”
