20,000 Teddy Bears on National Mall Highlight Ukrainian Children Taken by Russia

The display in Washington, DC, was meant to represent Ukrainian children that have been forcibly taken to Russia since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied A child places a teddy bear on a fence featuring 20,000 stuffed teddy bears installed by Razom for Ukraine in partnership with the American Coalition for Ukraine, in which organizers say each represents a Ukrainian child abducted by Russia since the start of the war, is seen on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google A display of 20,000 teddy bears appeared on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Thursday to represent Ukrainian children that have been forcibly taken to Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, AFP reported. The demonstration, organized by Razom for Ukraine and the American Coalition for Ukraine, was held near the US Capitol under the message: “Bring Them Home.” Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Melinda Haring, senior advisor for Razom for Ukraine, said the display was meant to show the scale of the abductions. “There are 20,000 teddy bears on this fence,” Haring said. “Each of these teddy bears represents a Ukrainian child that was taken since 2022. Now, there’s officially about 20,000 Ukrainian children. The number is definitely larger than that, but we’re here to draw attention to Vladimir Putin and what he did to Ukrainian children.” Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna, urged lawmakers to keep pressure on the issue. “We urge our colleagues from the Senate and Congress not to forget, to keep this wheel running,” Stefanishyna said. “Your attention, your energy keeps the attention of your government on the topic.” US Senator Richard Blumenthal called the abductions a war crime. “What Putin is doing to tens of thousands of children, more than 20,000, is a war crime,” Blumenthal said. “What Vladimir Putin is doing here is not trying to take territory alone. He’s not trying to defeat a nation alone. He’s trying to destroy a people.” Other Topics of Interest Russia Agrees to Supply Indonesia With Up to 150 Million Barrels of Oil The deal follows Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s recent visit to Moscow as Jakarta seeks to secure alternative oil supplies amid Middle East disruptions. He said that was the purpose of “abducting children, changing their names, re-educating them.” US lawmakers, including Blumenthal, Jamie Raskin and Michael McCaul, attended the event and urged continued pressure on Russia. In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky said 2,000 Ukrainian children had been brought back from Russia and Russian-occupied territories, but thousands more remained “captive.” In March, the US announced a $25 million fund to support the return and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.