A Ukrainian orphan boy who was brought to Russia after the capture of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol by Russian troops has returned to his homeland, according to information from Kiev and Moscow. “On November 19, his birthday, Bogdan returned to Ukraine,” said the Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament, Dmytro Lubinets, on Sunday on the Telegram online service. He published several photos of 18-year-old Bogdan Yermochin and highlighted the role of the Gulf state of Qatar and UNICEF in the youth’s return home.
“It was a thorny road. Bogdan experienced a lot during his time in Russia, but despite everything, he wanted to go home! Today his wish came true,” Lubinets continued. The chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said that the teenager was already in Ukraine. The Russian children’s rights representative Maria Lwowa-Belowa confirmed the return on Telegram Jermochins.
Before the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, Yermokhin lived in Mariupol, where, according to media reports, he was training in the metal industry. After the city was captured by Russian troops, he and a group of minors were first taken to the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Donetsk and later to the Moscow region.
Like many Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories, Yermokhin was naturalized by the Russian authorities and had already been asked by the military to prepare his military documents. In March he tried to escape, but was stopped by Russian security forces.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) accuses Russia of abducting thousands of minors. The Hague-based court has therefore issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvowa-Belova. Moscow rejects the allegations. Ukraine estimates that 20,000 Ukrainian children were forcibly sent to Russia. Only 400 have returned.
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