'She told us we're Russian': Abducted Ukrainian teen on meeting Putin's notorious children's commissioner

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the abduction of Ukrainian children, interacts with Ukrainian children at the Qatari embassy in Moscow on Feb. 19, 2024. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images) Prefer on Google by Yuliia Taradiuk A Ukrainian teenager abducted from Russian-occupied territory was personally told by the Kremlin's children's rights commissioner, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, that "there will be no Ukraine soon" and she would be better off joining one of Moscow's youth military programs. In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Anastasiia Chvylova said Maria Lvova-Belova — wanted by the ICC alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin on accusations for abducting Ukrainian children — told her and others that they were Russian and urged them to study in Russia or join a Russian military-patriotic youth program. "She told us (Ukrainian children abducted by Russia) that we are Russian children, that Russia will win, that Russia is the best country ever, and that we would have more opportunities there than in Ukraine," she said. "There will be no Ukraine soon," Lvova-Belova told the Ukrainian children, according to Chvylova. Chvylova said she did not know at the time who Lvova-Belova was. Anastasiia Chvylova in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 2026. (The Kyiv Independent) Chvylova's story Chvylova was 15 when she met Lvova-Belova. At the time, she was trapped in a Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast in 2022 and 2023, and she wanted to return home to Kherson, where her mother was waiting for her. Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson in November 2022, after which checkpoints were set up between the Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-controlled parts of the oblast. She and her mother were separated, with few opportunities to meet. At a checkpoint, Russian forces prevented Chvylova and her friend from returning to Ukrainian-controlled Kherson, accusing them of spying for Ukraine's Air Force Afterward, Russian occupation authorities kept Chvylova under their control, at times moved her between occupied areas, and even arranged for her brief adoption while her mother tried to find a way into the occupied territory to bring her home. She recalled being taken to the occupied city of Henichesk, Kherson Oblast, in 2023, where she lived in a dormitory next to a vocational school with other Ukrainian children. The meeting with Lvova-Belova took place there, according to Chvylova. Chvylova said Lvova-Belova visited abducted Ukrainian children from occupied territories and promoted Russian education programs. "She came to see us and told us to go study in Russia or 'fight' in the 'Youth Army' (Yunarmiya)," Chvylova said. Teenagers attend an induction ceremony for the "Youth Army" (Yunarmiya) cadet movement at the Stalingrad Battle Museum in Volgograd, Russia, on Jan. 25, 2023. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images) The Russian military-patriotic youth organization "Youth Army" (Yunarmiya) is designed to prepare children and teenagers for service in the Russian army. Membership does not mean enlistment, but children involved in the group may later be prepared for service or recruited to fight against Ukraine. Chvylova said that back home in Kherson, she was studying to become a chef, so Lvova-Belova offered her the chance to study in Moscow. "She offered the same thing to some guys, and some of the kids agreed," she said. Chvylova added that at the time, her mother had found a way to reach the occupied part of Kherson Oblast and bring her daughter back. Lvova-Belova objected when she heard about it, Chvylova said. "I said I didn't want to go anywhere in Russia because my mom was coming soon. But they started trying to stop me and said, 'Why did she wait so long to come get you? We've been helping you; we brought you clothes and food.' And the food they brought was pork that had hair in it," she said. Chvylova also said Russian military personnel were present at the meeting and offered to teach children how to operate drones. She returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory in 2023 with the help of Save Ukraine , a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO. She now lives in Kyiv and dreams of becoming a firefighter. A report about Lvova-Belova's visit to Henichesk in early 2023 appeared in a Reuters article published on Jan. 11, 2024 . The investigation documented large-scale operations involving the abduction, forced deportation, housing, and re-education of Ukrainian children. Reuters identified a pro-Kremlin network responsible for transferring orphans from Kherson. According to the report, representatives from Lvova-Belova's office in Henichesk also offered boys places at a prestigious Russian military academy. The forced transfer or deportation of children can amount to a war crime under international law, and it is one of the allegations that has drawn the closest scrutiny from international prosecutors. In an October 2025 interview, Lvova-Belova herself revealed details about taking a 15-year-old boy named Filip from Russian-occupied Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, whom she later claimed to have adopted. Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the abduction of Ukrainian children, stands with Filip, a teenager from Mariupol, Ukraine, as he receives his Russian passport in Moscow, Russia, in the photo posted on Sept. 21, 2022. (Telegram / Maria Lvova-Belova) She said that Filip "did not want to go to Russia" and he was "annoyed by Moscow and Russia," but she managed to re-educate him. By telling Filip's story, Lvova-Belova appeared to describe conduct at the center of the ICC warrant: taking a child from occupied territory and reshaping his identity to fit Russia's narrative. Lvova-Belova became the second woman in history to be subject to an ICC arrest warrant, accused of war crimes related to the forced transfer of civilians during an armed conflict. The ICC issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for both Lvova-Belova and Vladimir Putin, accusing them of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. The Kremlin has rejected the accusations as politically motivated. The issue of abducted children remains one of Ukraine's key priorities in peace negotiations, along with a ceasefire and the return of prisoners of war Ukraine has identified 20,570 children who have been taken by Russia since the start of the full-scale war, but Ukrainian officials estimate the real figure of abducted children could be far higher. Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, puts the number at up to 150,000 , while Daria Herasymchuk, Ukraine's presidential commissioner for children's rights, has given a range of 200,000-300,000 . Hi! This is Yuliia, the author of this story. Reporting on Ukrainian children abducted by Russia is truly important. While Ukraine is doing everything possible to bring kids back, thousands remain trapped in Russian and Russian-occupied territories. To support our work in telling these stories, c onsider joining our community . Yuliia Taradiuk is a Ukrainian reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been working with Lutsk-based misto.media, telling stories of Ukrainian fighters for the "All are gone to the front" project. She has experience as a freelance culture reporter, and a background in urbanism and activism, working for multiple Ukrainian NGOs. Yuliia holds B.A. degree in English language and literature from Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, she studied in Germany and Lithuania.