On March 17, 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) served notices of suspicion to three individuals who organized the deportation of 213 children from Donetsk to russia shortly before the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
What is known about the suspects
Kushakov Mykhailo Mykolayovych (born November 23, 1958) is the so-called “Minister of Education and Science of the DPR”. He received instructions from the kremlin leadership and organized the deportation: he coordinated the transfer of children, issued orders, and directed the actions of subordinate officials and heads of institutions.
Kulemzin Oleksiy Valeriyovych (born June 13, 1974) is the head of the occupation administration of Donetsk. He personally arrived at the boarding school on February 18, 2022, and supervised the boarding of children onto buses, coordinating and controlling the process on site.
Volkova Olha Mykolaivna (born December 14, 1961) is the director of Donetsk Boarding School No. 1, seized by the occupiers. She compiled the lists of children, organized their assembly on the premises, and personally accompanied 213 pupils to the Rostov region.
All three are currently in temporarily occupied territory and are evading justice.
Circumstances of the crime
Donetsk General Education Boarding School No. 1 is an institution for orphans and children deprived of parental care. After the occupation of Donetsk in 2014, russia established control over the institution, renamed it, and appointed management loyal to the occupiers.
The investigation established that the deportation was a pre-planned operation rather than a spontaneous “evacuation”, as claimed by the occupation authorities. On February 16, 2022 — six days before the full-scale invasion — the so-called “head of the DPR” signed a decree on the “evacuation” of civilians to russia. On the same day, heads of educational institutions were instructed to prepare lists of children.
On February 18, 2022, Kushakov ordered the suspension of educational activities in DPR institutions and instructed officials to ensure the “evacuation” of orphans. On the same day, Volkova signed an order to transfer 213 children to the Rostov region.
On February 19, the children were placed in the Romashka sports and recreation center in the Neklinovsky district of the Rostov region.
There were no objective grounds for the deportation. At the time, there were no active hostilities in Donetsk, and the children did not require medical treatment outside the city. russia never requested that Ukraine transfer the children to government-controlled territory.
Shortly after the deportation, profiles of some of the children appeared on the russian portal “Adopt.ru”, a federal database for adoption. As of now, 78 children from this group have been placed with russian families and remain in russia. None of the 213 children have returned to government-controlled territory.
Suspicion
The three suspects were notified in absentia under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons). Their actions violate Article 49 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons, which explicitly prohibits deportation and forcible transfer from occupied territory to the territory of the occupying power.
The suspicions were announced on a symbolic date — the anniversary of the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner maria lvova-belova, who are accused of similar crimes.