Bottom Line Up Front
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Countering Russian Trafficking Act to impose serious sanctions on those responsible for Russia’s human trafficking and re-education of Ukrainian children. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has kidnapped over 20,000 Ukrainian children, seeking to indoctrinate them into Russian state ideology in a systematic campaign against Ukrainian families and culture.
The Countering Russian Trafficking Act (H.R. 9450) would require the President to impose sanctions on the perpetrators, facilitators, and financial beneficiaries of Russia’s campaign against Ukrainian children under Executive Order 13581 and Section 111 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. The President would also be required to submit an unclassified list of designated persons to Congress within 120 days of enactment.
FDD Action supports this bipartisan legislation and urges Members of Congress to cosponsor it.
Legislation at a Glance
FDD Action Expert Analysis
“FDD Action applauds the bipartisan congressional focus on holding Russia accountable for its abduction of Ukrainian children. Lawmakers from both parties recognize that we must address Russia’s abduction of more than 20,000 Ukrainian children. These kidnappings are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and constitute one of the worst examples of large-scale human trafficking seen to this day. FDD Action is proud to endorse this legislation and urges Members of Congress to cosponsor it and for the House to pass the legislation.”
— Daniel Vaynshteyn, Associate Director of Government Relations at FDD Action
What You Need to Know
- Russian trafficking and indoctrination: As of June 2026, Ukrainian authorities have documented 20,610 children who have been forcibly transferred or deported. Furthermore, an OSCE Moscow Mechanism investigation released this month found that as many as 1.6 million Ukrainian children residing in occupied territories are subject to comprehensive Russian state indoctrination and militarization. That is not counting children deported to Russia being indoctrinated there.
- Systematic abuse of Ukrainian children: A recent Return Every Child report based on interviews with 200 repatriated children found that 55% were subjected to pro-Russian indoctrination, 41% were exposed to militarization, 18% were separated from family, and 18% were denied medical care. These children also reported torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and religious persecution. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has also documented and confirmed multiple cases of murder, rape, torture, and unlawful confinement of Ukrainian children.
- War crimes without accountability: In 2023, the United States issued an official determination that Russia’s removal of children from Ukraine constitutes a crime against humanity, characterizing the deportations as “part of the Kremlin’s widespread and systematic attack against Ukraine’s civilian population.”
- U.S., Europe confirm Russian human trafficking: The State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report on Ukraine states that Russia has forcibly transferred as many as 1.6 million Ukrainians, including thousands of children, and these populations “remain highly vulnerable to trafficking.” The Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking body also found that Russia’s deportations and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children may fit the definition for human trafficking under its Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The report found several cases where repatriated Ukrainian children were “identified as victims of human trafficking.”
- Enablers of Russian trafficking: The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and Russian adoption networks have been core elements of Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian children. The ROC’s charity arm has coordinated with Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations from the early days of the war, received transport and placement records for displaced people from occupied Ukraine, centralized fundraising for their housing, and sheltered children at church-run facilities in Russia. Moscow has also used Russian adoption databases to place Ukrainian children with Russian families with the intent to “Russify” them. Those enabling Russia’s crimes against humanity must be held accountable.
About the Countering Russian Trafficking Act
The Countering Russian Trafficking Act (H.R. 9450) would counter the Russian Federation’s systematic abduction and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by:
- Mandating the President impose sanctions on covered persons within 180 days of enactment, in accordance with Executive Order 13581 and Section 111 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
- Broadly defining covered persons to include Russian federal ministries and regional administrations, “rehabilitation” and “patriotic education” camps, Russian Orthodox Church entities and affiliated charities, private adoption and foster networks operating in occupied Ukraine, and any individual who knowingly benefits from, materially supports, or acts on behalf of these entities.
- Requiring the President to submit an interim unclassified list of qualifying persons to Congress within 120 days, with the option to include a classified annex.
- Allowing for congressional input so that relevant committee leadership can request a presidential determination on whether certain foreign actors meet the criteria for sanctions within 120 days.
- Preserving existing authorities so that the bill does not limit the President’s power to impose sanctions under any other provision of law.
About FDD Action
FDD Action is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(4) organization established to advocate for effective policies to promote U.S. national security and defend free nations. FDD Action serves as a trusted resource for congressional offices and executive branch policymakers navigating complex national security challenges, leveraging a team with decades of experience on Capitol Hill and in the policy arena.