Zelensky: Russia is recruiting deported Ukrainian children who have now grown up; this must stop

At the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had begun sending some of the Ukrainian children deported during the war into the military.

He said the children had been taken from Ukraine and had since grown up. Zelensky called the move perverse and demanded that it stop. Kyiv says thousands of minors have been forcibly removed from the country.

Speaking to leaders at the summit, Zelensky blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war’s continuation. He said the conflict could end if Putin stopped military operations and allowed Ukrainian prisoners and deported children to return.

The Ukrainian president also asked Latin American countries for immediate assistance with equipment and supplies to keep Ukraine’s energy system running after repeated Russian attacks.

In an interview with German television broadcaster ZDF, Zelensky expressed hope that a Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections could bring more American aid to Kyiv and greater pressure on Moscow.

He said Ukraine had support from both U.S. parties and stressed the need for stronger ties between Washington and Europe in the face of Russia.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new €4.36 billion financial package for Ukraine. She said the funds would help the country get through its fifth winter since the start of the Russian invasion and ensure continued European support.

Of that package, €3.7 billion comes from the second installment of macro-financial assistance for 2026, while €658 million is allocated to the loan protection component.

Fighting also continues inside Ukraine. In the Kyiv region, a Russian attack struck a logistics facility in the Bucha area. The strike caused a large fire in a building believed to have served as a construction materials warehouse. One person was injured; no deaths had been reported at the time.