Ukrainians who survived Russian captivity have shared accounts of their experiences and praised Canada for supporting efforts to rescue abducted children and help survivors recover from trauma.
Speaking at a two-day Pathways to Peace conference in Toronto, Ukrainian survivors described the impact of captivity and Russia’s occupation, while Canadian officials and international partners discussed efforts to reunite Ukrainian children with their families.
Among those who spoke was 18-year-old Dariia Tomashova, who said she escaped Crimea four months ago after spending a year trying to leave the territory occupied by Russia. She described changes to education under Russian control, including the removal of references to Ukrainian identity and the history of Crimea’s Indigenous peoples.
Tomashova also described how children were exposed to military-style training, including tactical medical instruction and weapons-related lessons. Her testimony highlighted concerns over the treatment and indoctrination of Ukrainian children in occupied areas.
The conference focused heavily on efforts to return Ukrainian children who Ukrainian authorities say have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories. Ukrainian officials cite more than 20,651 records involving possible unlawful deportations or forced transfers, with 2,573 children reported returned so far.
Canada has supported international efforts to bring the children home. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced $863,000 in additional funding for civil society organizations helping returned children and their families, bringing Canada’s total support for those efforts to $7 million.
Canada has also used artificial intelligence technology to help trace the whereabouts of Ukrainian children and prisoners of war, Anand said. She noted that changes to children’s names and identities can make efforts to locate and verify them more difficult.
The conference also addressed adults held in Russian captivity. Margaryta Shabanova described the detention of her husband, who was taken by Russian officials in occupied Luhansk while working with an independent monitoring mission.
Survivors and humanitarian organizations called for continued international pressure and sanctions on Russia, while emphasizing that rescue is only the beginning of the recovery process for people returning from captivity.
The conference brought together representatives from dozens of countries and underscored the continuing international effort to reunite Ukrainians separated from their families by the war.
Swifteradio.com
