US State Dept. Says Kiev Has Not Permitted Adoption Of Unaccompanied Children Overseas

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2022) Kiev has not allowed adoption of Ukrainian unaccompanied minors as it wants them to stay close to the country, Dana Francis, US Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, at the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, said on Wednesday.

"In terms of unaccompanied children, the government of Ukraine has not given permission for them to be adopted overseas at this point," Francis said during a hearing. "They wish for them to stay close to Ukraine where most of them actually have family members still within Ukraine.

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On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. According to the UNHCR, a total of 6,029,705 people have left Ukraine since February 24.