The Decibel The Canadian-funded project mapping Ukraine’s missing children
Jun 10, 2025
Mark MacKinnon, a senior international correspondent for The Globe and Mail, delves into the harrowing plight of Ukrainian children missing due to the ongoing conflict. He discusses the collaborative efforts of Save Ukraine and Hala Systems, which, backed by Canada, are using advanced technology to locate and map facilities where children are held. The conversation highlights shocking statistics, including 20,000 missing children and the concerning indoctrination tactics they face. MacKinnon offers insight into the complex humanitarian crisis and the urgent need for international support to reunite these children with their families.
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Network of Facilities Holding Children
- A network of 136 facilities across Russian-occupied territories and Russia holds Ukrainian children taken during the war.
- This resembles a modern, sinister system likened to the Soviet-era Gulag Archipelago but involves children instead of labor camps.
Children Taken Across Front Lines
- Children were moved from Eastern Ukrainian cities under Russian control to Russia via different routes.
- Families often sent kids for safety who never saw them again, adding complexity to tracking these missing children.
Discrepancies in Missing Children Numbers
- Estimates vary from 20,000 reported missing children to possibly 1.6 million unaccounted for children in Ukrainian-controlled areas.
- Numbers differ due to adoption cases, parents' decisions during war, and unreported losses, underscoring the scale of the problem.
