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As Russian troops pushed into Ukraine, children who were fleeing newly occupied territories were swept up. Many became part of a Russian effort to portray itself as a charitable savior.
The children were placed in Russian families and paraded on television. The Times interviewed one child who was taken from Ukraine, a girl named Anya, who said she ached to return.
On today’s episode
Emma Bubola, a reporter for The New York Times based in London.
Background reading
Using adoptions, Russia has turned Ukrainian children into spoils of war.
The mayor of a Ukrainian city disappeared, but questions about his loyalty did not.
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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.
Emma Bubola contributed reporting.
Special thanks to Nastya Kuznietsova, researcher and translator, and Alina Lobzina, who contributed reporting from the Moscow bureau.
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