UNFOUNDED: American charitable organizations profit from abducted Ukrainian children

Information is being spread online claiming that American charitable organizations profit from the issue of supposedly “Ukrainian children abducted by Russia”. They collect funds but do not provide any details, particularly regarding the number of abducted children. At the same time, they offer a detailed list of individuals involved in the abductions.

However, such accusations are unfounded. There are no examples of investigations indicating that American charitable organizations have profited from abducted Ukrainian children.

We were unable to determine which organization the post refers to. The screenshot was likely taken from one of the materials of the American charitable organization, the U.S. Ukraine Foundation, as we found identical fragments of text in the organization’s social media posts. 

No online reports or credible investigations suggest that this or any other American charitable organization has profited from abducted Ukrainian children.

Evidence of child abductions by Russia

Meanwhile, there is substantial evidence of child abductions by the Russian side. In connection with this, in March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

Thus, in July 2025, during a cyber operation, intelligence from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine obtained documents from the servers of the so-called “government of Crimea,” confirming the forcible transfer of children from occupied territories and their placement under the guardianship of Russian citizens. And in August 2025, it became known that Russia created a database publishing information about abducted Ukrainian children, who could be “selected” and taken into guardianship.

Number of abducted Ukrainian children

As of today, 19.5 thousand abducted children have been officially identified. At the same time, research from the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health estimates the actual number at around 35,000.

Return of Ukrainian children

Information about missing children can be found by searching their surname on the state portal “Children of War.” The return of children is handled within the framework of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA and the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Within this initiative, 1,625 children abducted by Russia have already been returned.  Additionally, on August 5, 2025, the Coalition called on Russia to return 339 children included in the initial list submitted by the Ukrainian side during negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, 2025.

Furthermore, Ukrainian OSINT investigators, including Cat Eyes OSINT and Recon Kraken, assist in locating children. Data about located children is transferred to Ukrainian special services and Bring Kids Back.