LANSING, MI—The Michigan State Senate yesterday unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution (SR 141) condemning the abduction and forced deportation of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. Nova Ukraine, Yoopers for Ukraine, and other community groups played a significant role in passing the resolution.
Nova Ukraine applauds Michigan State Senators Chang (D) and McBroom (R) for introducing the resolution, and we look forward to its upcoming introduction in the Michigan House.
While a similar resolution has passed at the federal level, Michigan is now the sixth state to act. This initiative signals a growing movement across the United States to recognize and respond to Russia’s war crimes against children.
Dr. Igor Markov, Board Director of Nova Ukraine, said:
“These children are not statistics: they have names, families, and the right to come home.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Nova Ukraine has worked to ensure the world does not forget Ukraine’s stolen children. Our advocacy has ranged from policy efforts to public awareness campaigns, including billboards near major US airports demanding their return.”
According to the Ukrainian government and international monitoring organizations, including the United Nations, more than 20,651 Ukrainian children have been abducted and forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories. The real number may be significantly higher. These children are often separated from their families, placed into Russian institutions, or adopted by Russian families under changed identities.
The resolution was accompanied by the War Up Close exhibition by EMUSEUM, debuting in Lansing. Developed by Ukrainian journalists and war correspondents, the exhibition combines immersive virtual reality experiences, large-format photographs, and documentary storytelling to show the real cost of Russia’s invasion as seen through the eyes of those living it.
Visitors walked through destroyed homes, stood inside bombed schools, and came face to face with the loss, fear, and resilience of Ukrainian civilians, including children. The exhibition is part of a broader effort to help local communities understand what Ukrainians are enduring every day and why international support, including moral clarity, matters.rainians are enduring every day and why international support, including moral clarity, matters.
ABOUT NOVA UKRAINE
Nova Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization (EIN 465335435) dedicated to raising awareness about Ukraine in the U.S. and throughout the world and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
