The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine warned about the risks of sending children from European Union countries on vacation to the temporarily occupied Crimea, in particular to the Artek children's center, which is under sanctions. As the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhiy, said in a comment for the Public Crimea, such trips are private initiatives and do not reflect the official position of the governments of the EU countries.
Tychy emphasized that entering the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, bypassing Ukrainian checkpoints, is illegal and can have negative consequences for citizens. According to him, the stay of children from the EU in "Artek", controlled by the Russian occupiers, creates conditions for their use in Russian propaganda, which justifies the war of aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that the "Artek" center, formally located under the auspices of UNESCO, was illegally transferred to the control of the Russian Federation in 2014. Since then, Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety and observance of children's rights in the occupied territory.
"Russia systematically violates the rights of children in the occupied territories, in particular, using them for propaganda purposes and imposing an anti-Ukrainian policy," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized. "Citizens of foreign countries should take into account the risks of such trips, because the situation in Crimea is dangerous for the lives and health of children."
