“Navigators” who ordered the children to be removed from the church visited the foster homes several times. He was later identified as Igor Kastyukevich, a Russian lawmaker from Putin’s party United Russia.
Anna Kuznetsova, deputy chairman of the Russian parliament and Ms Lvova-Belova’s former children’s rights commissioner, sent baby supplies from Moscow on behalf of the party. “#WeDon’tAbandonOurOwn,” she wrote on Telegram, using a pro-war hashtag to suggest the children belonged to Russia.
In interviews with The Times, Russian officials echoed this view and said Kherson’s children were Russian.
In May, Putin fulfilled his promise to Ms Lvova-Belova by issuing a presidential decree easing citizenship requirements: Ukrainian caregivers can now represent Ukrainian foster children in Kherson and other occupied areas and orphans apply for Russian citizenship.
The decree also speeds up the process so that children can become Russian citizens in 90 days or less, instead of up to five years.
The next month, Ms. Kornienko, the director of the foster home, was summoned to the Kherson Health Ministry, which is now run by the occupation authorities. A Russian-backed official asked her to stay on as director but come under his supervision. She even obtained a Russian passport.
But Ms. Kornienko refused. She’s had enough of the occupiers, who she says intimidate staff by asking them about their political views, test their loyalty and carry guns while spying on children.
Dr Lukina also resigned. She cares deeply about the children, but she doesn’t want to be involved in what Russian-backed officials might do to them.
“I don’t want to be a part of it,” she said. “I’m worried they’ll take me away too.”
In search of a new director, the occupation authorities turned to Tetiana Zavalska, a pediatrician at the foster home who often worked night and weekend shifts. She expressed sympathy for the new occupation government and made her pro-Russian views clear.
