Marina Peschanskaya and Anton Demidov have allegedly played key roles in crimes against Ukrainian children
The government is facing calls to sanction two Russian officials accused of abducting and brainwashing thousands of Ukrainian children.
The apparatchiks appear to play a key role in the alleged ‘kidnaping’ and ‘reformating’ of kids from occupied Ukraine,Metro can reveal.
Marina Peschanskaya has openly talked about transporting thousands of children from seized Ukrainian land,while Anton Demidov has led efforts to recruit thousands of people into his nationalistic youth wing.
Despite being sanctioned by countries across the world,neither have been targeted by British officials.
Russia is accused of militarising deported Ukrainian children
Senior MPs,Human Rights groups and war crimes campaigners have told Metro that Peschanskaya,Demidov and other figures linked to the abduction of children should be sanctioned.
Peschanskya has been widely sanctioned by the EU and SwitzerlandPeschanskaya has not been sanctioned by the UK even her colleague on a national level,the Children’s Rights Commissioner for Russia,Maria Lvova-Belova,has been.Alex Sobel MP,who chairs parliament’s Ukraine group,called Peschanskya’s language about ‘reformating’ children ‘chilling’He told Metro: ‘This is not evacuation or education,but a deliberate attempt to erase who these children are and turn them against their own country.‘The UK Government should now align with our European allies by sanctioning her and consider action against every individual and organisation implicated in the abduction,indoctrination,and militarisation of Ukraine’s children.’Another key Russian figure who has not been sanctioned is Anton Demidov.Demidov has already been blacklisted by Canada for his role as chair of the Young Guard of United Russia (MGER),which has been accused of ‘brainwashing’ and ‘militarising’ children,including deported ones.
Demidov has been pictured running events with ‘evacuated’ Ukrainian childrenThe MGER,the youth wing of Russia’s ruling party,has recruited children from branches across occupied Ukraine,including more than 11,000 in Donetsk alone,according to their Telegram.Demidov personally held an event with children ‘evacuated’ from Ukraine into Russia at the headquarters of the MGER.The kids were taught about the group’s political project PolitZavod and also attended a ‘Moscow socio-patriotic educational campus’.MGER has been pictured holding military-sports events in formerly Ukrainian territory,such as Sevastapol.According to one post from the Young Guard in Sevastopol,children were taught ‘skills that everyone should know,from tactical medicine to marksmanship and weapons handling.’The young wing has also been heavily involved in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.A post on their website boasts that they have ‘servicemen participating in the “special military operation”‘,and deliver ‘thousands of drinks and pieces of equipment to the front’.Ukraine’s official war sanctions page further alleges that the MGER participates in the ‘mass abduction,illegal deportation,and forced relocation of Ukrainian citizens,including children’.
MGER’s young recruits have been involved in Russia’s war against UkraineUkraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights told Metro that Marina Peschanskaya and Anton Demidov ‘have for years been involved in implementing policies aimed at the re-education of Ukrainian children.’They said British measures against the pair would serve as a ‘yellow card’ warning that their crimes could be followed by prosecution in international courts.Ukraine’s 5 AM Coalition has estimated there could range anywhere from 260,000 to 700,000 children who were forcibly taken from their home in eastern Ukraine.As of June 2025,only 1,359 children have been returned. The Foreign Office has sanctioned a string of senior officials for their roles in the alleged crimes,including a fresh batch of designations in May.Helen Maguire MP,Chair of parliament’s RussiaWatch groups; said: ‘Of all the crimes committed by Putin during his illegal war in Ukraine,the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children is among the most vile.‘A top priority for The Prime Minister must be joining the EU and Switzerland in sanctioning all those responsible. Those involved in these atrocities must be judged for their crimes against humanity.’Peschanskaya and Demidov are among two officials being explored in a new exhibition that launched in central London on Wednesday.
Piers Secunda has visited Ukraine and wants to highlight the horrors parts of the country has faced under Russian occupationArtist Piers Secunda,who has visited Ukraine twice to document Russia’s looting of art and abduction of children,is displaying his artwork alongside a feature length documentary about the trip.The exhibition will display ‘evidence’ of Russian wrongs from Russian media and is running at the Fitzrovia Gallery until September 6.What has Russia said?
A spokesperson from the Russian Embassy told Metro: ‘Russia has nothing to do with the so-called “abduction of Ukrainian children”.
‘This politically motivated narrative is exploited by Ukrainian and Western propaganda exclusively to demonise our country.
‘Minors evacuated from areas of active hostilities were saved from being used by Ukrainian troops as human shields and hostages.
‘In effect,it was a rescue mission for the young. Moreover,Russia and Ukraine have established a communication channel to help reunite families.
‘Since the start of the special military operation, 30 minors have been returned to relatives in Russia, and a further 141 have been reunited with families in Ukraine and in third countries. This work is ongoing.
‘Ukraine has a long record of attacks on civilian population,with youngsters increasingly among the casualties. Recent examples speak for themselves.
‘On 22 May,a dormitory in Starobelsk was hit,killing 21 people and injuring 44,most of them aged between 15 and 22. On 3 August,a drone struck a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka,Krasnodar Region,killing 8 civilians,including 4 minors.
‘Over the past four years in Kherson region alone,4,400 civilians have been killed or injured,including 130 children. Such assaults are carried out using weapons and intelligence support provided to Kiev by NATO member states,notably the UK.
‘As for brainwashing,it is in Ukraine that so-called “children’s military-patriotic camps” operate,where fighters from the Azov battalion and other nationalist formations indoctrinate Ukrainian children,instilling in them hatred of all that is Russian – language,culture,history,identity.
‘This,however,is something the Western mainstream media turns a blind eye to.’
A spokesperson from the Ukrainian Embassy said the country ‘strongly supports the imposition of sanctions against individuals and entities involved in the forced deportation,indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
‘These actions constitute grave violations of international law and the rights of children.’
The Embassy added: ‘We are confident that the UK shares this principled approach and remains committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible.’
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We keep sanctions under close review. It is not appropriate to speculate on any future designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations.
‘The UK government has taken action to sanction those supporting Putin’s attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukraine’s children and erase their Ukrainian cultural heritage.
‘In May,we announced our fifth sanctions package,targeting those involved in the forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children,including over 20 new designations.
‘We also announced £1.2m funding to support Ukrainian verification and tracing programmes,bringing our total funding to £4m to help get these children home.
‘The UK is committed to facilitate the return and reintegration of children cruelly deported by Russia.’
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