H. Res. 149 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

March 19, 2024. 

Whereas, on January 12, 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (commonly known as the ‘‘Genocide Convention’’), of which 

the Russian Federation is a party, came into effect; 

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation escalated its eight-year-long occupation of sovereign 

Ukrainian territory by launching an unprovoked largescale invasion of Ukraine; 

Whereas, on March 9, 2022, Russian Forces attacked a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, resulting in the 

deaths of 5 individuals and injuries to 17 other individuals; 

Whereas, on March 22, 2022, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced that the Russian military had illegally 

abducted and forcibly transferred 2,389 Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine; 

Whereas, on June 2, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr 

Zelenskyy stated that 200,000 children are among the 

Ukrainians who have been forcibly transferred to Russia; 

Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a violation of Article II(e) of the Genocide 

Convention; 
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•HRES 149 EH 

Whereas Maria Lvova-Belova, Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of Russia, admitted to abducting 

and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children and facilitating forced adoptions to Russian families; 

Whereas Ukrainian authorities have stated that a number of 

the abducted and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children 

have families who remain in Ukraine, but have been separated due to the renewed Russian invasion; 

Whereas, on June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced 

that children born in occupied Ukrainian territories after 

the February 24, 2022, invasion will be deemed Russian 

citizens; 

Whereas, on June 22, 2022, the United Nations Human 

Rights Office of the High Commissioner verified that at 

least 320 children have been killed since Russia’s renewed invasion began; 

Whereas, on July 11, 2022, United Nations Secretary General Anto ́nio Guterres ordered an investigation into the 

deaths and injuries of Ukrainian children; and 

Whereas, on July 13, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. 

Blinken issued a statement calling upon Russia to ‘‘immediately halt its systemic filtration operations in 

Ukraine’’, which have caused the disappearance, detention, or forcible deportation of between 900,000 and 

1,600,000 Ukrainians (approximately 260,000 of whom 

are children): Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) declares that the abduction and forcible transfer 

of children and facilitation of illegal adoptions is con-
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•HRES 149 EH 

trary to Russia’s obligations under the Genocide Convention and amounts to genocide; 

(2) further declares that the Russian Federation is 

attempting to wipe out a generation of Ukrainian children, thereby crippling Ukraine’s ability to nurture the 

next generation of Ukrainian citizens and leaders and to 

rebuild their country after Russia’s unprovoked war, 

with the purpose of demolishing Ukraine’s unique language, culture, history, and identity; 

(3) notes with concern that the invasion of Ukraine 

by the Russian Federation has significantly increased 

the risks of children being exposed to human trafficking 

and exploitation, child labor, gender-based violence, hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of education and shelter, 

and death; and 

(4) holds the Government of the Russian Federation, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, responsible 

for the wrongful and illegal abduction and forcible transfer of children from Ukraine and officially condemns 

these actions in the strongest terms. 

Attest: 

Clerk.