The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has responded to the information about the children from the European Union countries vacationing at the sanctioned Artek children’s center in the Russia-occupied Crimea. In a comment to Suspilne Krym, Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi emphasized that these trips are private and do not reflect the position of EU governments.
However, the ministry reminds that it is illegal to enter the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine without passing through Ukrainian checkpoints.
“Sending their children to rest alongside the Russian occupiers, EU citizens should realize that Russia will definitely make their sons and daughters tools of its state propaganda and justification of the war of aggression against Ukraine. This is exactly what happened recently at the Artek International Children’s Center,”- Tychyi noted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recalls the special status of the Artek Children’s Center, which formally operates under the auspices of UNESCO, but was illegally transferred to Russian control by the so-called “Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea” after the occupation of the peninsula in 2014. Since then, Ukraine has not been able to guarantee the observance of human rights on its territory.
It is noted that Russia systematically destroys the cultural identity of Ukrainians in the occupied territories and violates the rights of children. This is manifested not only in cases of forced relocation of underage Ukrainians, but also in the manipulation of children from Europe, whom the occupation authorities use to strengthen their own propaganda.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on foreign citizens to carefully assess the risks associated with their children’s travel to the Russian-occupied territories. The Ukrainian side emphasizes the systematic nature of Russia’s policy, which includes human rights violations and the creation of dangerous conditions for the life and health of children.
As a reminder, this year, children from Germany, France, and Finland stayed in the occupied Crimea for several weeks. They were vacationing
іn the sanctioned Artek camp, which they entered through the territory of the Russian Federation. The so-called entertainment program was organized by representatives of the United Russia party, and Russian soldiers demonstrated to the visitors “their view of the war in Ukraine”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine responded to the information about children from the European Union vacationing in the sanctioned Artek children’s center in Russia-occupied Crimea. In a comment to Suspilne Krym, Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi emphasized that these trips are private and do not reflect the position of EU governments.
However, the ministry reminds that it is illegal to enter the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine without passing through Ukrainian checkpoints.
“Sending their children to rest alongside the Russian occupiers, EU citizens should realize that Russia will definitely make their sons and daughters tools of its state propaganda and justification of the war of aggression against Ukraine. This is exactly what happened recently at the Artek International Children’s Center,” Tychy noted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recalls the special status of th Artek Children’s Center, which formally operates under the auspices of UNESCO, but was illegally transferred to Russian control by the so-called “Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea” after the occupation of the peninsula in 2014. Since then, Ukraine has not been able to guarantee the observance of human rights on its territory.
It is noted that Russia systematically destroys the cultural identity of Ukrainians in the occupied territories and violates the rights of children. This is manifested not only in cases of forced relocation of underage Ukrainians, but also in the manipulation of children from Europe, whom the occupation authorities use to strengthen their own propaganda.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on foreign citizens to carefully assess the risks associated with their children’s travel to the Russian-occupied territories. The Ukrainian side emphasizes the systematic nature of Russia’s policy, which includes human rights violations and the creation of dangerous conditions for the life and health of children.