US introduces sanctions against Belarus for involvement in deportation of children from Ukraine

The United States has imposed restrictions on eight people and 11 organisations for deporting children from Ukraine.

The press service of the US Department of the Treasury reports.

Among those sanctioned is Dmitry Shevtsov, Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross. The restrictions include JSC Alevkurp, the Planar Precision Engineering research and production holding, and the Horizon Holding Management Company.

On December 2, the Red Cross suspended Belarus' membership due to involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children. The membership was suspended because of Dmitry Shevtsov, who holds the position of Secretary General of the National Society.

"We will continue to target the Lukashenka regime’s revenue generators, his so-called personal ‘wallets,’ and actors who facilitate Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, coordinate the movement of children from Ukraine to Belarus, and support Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime", the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

It will be recalled that at least 2,442 Ukrainian children have been deported to Belarus since the full-scale war began.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Ombudsperson for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for the illegal deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.