displaced Ukrainians
Russia calls its actions a “special military operation” to protect its security as its neighbor moves increasingly closer to the West. Ukraine and its allies accuse Moscow of waging an unprovoked war to grab territory and erode the independence of the fellow former Soviet republic.
The Russian invasion displaced millions, killed thousands of civilians, and devastated Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages. Kyiv and its allies have also accused Russia of mass deportations of Ukrainians.
Zelensky on Monday called on the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) to do more about Ukrainians he says have been forcibly taken to Russia.
The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization, consisting of 57 states and includes the United States and all European states, including Russia and all states of the former Soviet Union.
Zelensky said, “No international organization has yet found the strength to access the places of detention of our prisoners in Russia. This must be corrected.”
The US State Department estimated last year that between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, have been forcibly deported to Russian territory.
Russia denies the deportations and says the coming wars are refugees. In November, the country’s emergency ministry said that some 4.8 million Ukrainians, including 712,000 children, had arrived in Russia since February.