Documentary shines light on Russia's abductions of children

A documentary was screened in Calgary on Saturday to draw attention to Russia's mass abduction of Ukrainian children.

The film "Uprooted" outlines the abductions of a group of children from the city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine.

It was produced by the Kyiv Independent War Crimes Investigations Unit.

Many in the audience at St. Vladimir cultural centre were displaced Ukrainians, including a 17 year old from Crimea who left with her family following Russia's illegal annexation in 2014. Alveea Kataki says the world should not underestimate the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

“Not only physical, but mentally,” she said. “They take kids from Ukraine from their families, even if their families are still there, alive. They're kidnapping those kids, taking them back to Russia and then trying to brain wash them into thinking Ukraine no longer exists.”

It has been just over two years since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, destroying dozens of cities and killing tens of thousands of civilians.

The United Nations say at least 20 thousand Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia.