The Story The girl who was kidnapped by Russia - the Sunday Story
Oct 5, 2025
Jane Mulkerrins, Associate Editor of The Times Magazine, discusses the harrowing experiences of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. She reveals chilling accounts of forced ‘re-education’ in camps where children face indoctrination and suppression of their identity. Mulkerrins shares the traumatic stories of Valerius Sidorova and Vladislav Boryak, detailing their captivation, the psychological impact of torture, and their long journeys to recovery. The conversation highlights the ongoing crisis and the troubling statistics surrounding the forced removal of nearly 19,500 children.
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Teen Forced Evacuation And Camp Life
- Valerius Sidorova was 16 when occupying forces forced schoolchildren onto buses, telling families it was a two-week evacuation to Crimea.
- She spent months in a guarded camp where Ukrainian language and identity were suppressed and documents were confiscated.
Systematic Re-Education Network
- Camp Luchisti ran systematic political re-education using pseudo-history, patriotic rituals and Russian-language enforcement.
- Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab found at least 32 facilities engaged in coordinated Russia-centric re-education of Ukrainian children.
Documentary Captures Abductions And Strategy
- The film Children in the Fire documents abductions, forced adoption and severe injuries among Ukrainian children since 2022.
- Director Yevgeny Afinevsky frames re-education as a deliberate strategy aligned with Putin's claim that schools and priests win wars.