Growing Crisis: Children of Deployed Russian Soldiers Face Increasing State Care Institutionalization

Children of soldiers stationed in Ukraine are increasingly being designated as «at-risk» and taken from their families to state-operated orphanages and boarding facilities, according to reports from various officials in several Russian regions, as highlighted by the Sibirskiy Ekspress Telegram channel.

Olga Kazantseva, the children’s rights commissioner for the Altai region, raised concerns about a growing trend of «family dysfunction» among the families of those deployed in Ukraine. She informed the regional parliament, stating, «Numerous families of soldiers are now registered with municipal juvenile affairs commissions. This is a significant issue that demands immediate attention to ensure that children remain with their families and to tackle the root causes.»

In the Zabaikalsky region, children’s ombudswoman Natalia Epova noted that the children of soldiers have been categorized as a «special group of adolescents,» alongside orphans and minors from single-parent or troubled backgrounds. Local employment services have assisted 27 of these youths in securing part-time jobs after school.

Meanwhile, in the Republic of Buryatia, children’s rights commissioner Natalia Gankina mentioned that she had received over 100 inquiries in the last three years regarding the rights of children with relatives involved in the conflict. Some of these children identified as needing help were temporarily placed in state facilities.

Larisa Loskutova, the children’s ombudsman for the Tomsk region, pointed to parental involvement in the conflict in Ukraine as a significant factor leading to extended stays for children in state-run institutions.

Nadezhda Manzyrova, a former children’s rights commissioner in the Altai republic, confirmed that children of soldiers are present in state boarding facilities. Such institutions, often linked with regular schools, are commonplace in the region, where remote areas frequently lack educational resources, leading children to reside at their schools full-time.

In the Kemerovo region of Siberia, children’s ombudsman Valentina Bogatenko reported multiple instances of servicemen’s children being placed in orphanages. One case involved two daughters of a contracted soldier who were put in a social rehabilitation center after their mother sought help due to «challenging life circumstances.» Another case involved a child whose father was killed in Ukraine in 2022; the mother, unable to work because of health issues, relied on a survivor’s pension while living in rented accommodation. According to Bogatenko’s report, authorities facilitated the child’s enrollment in preschool and provided necessary social support.