Canada Funds AI to Trace Abducted Ukrainian Children

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand co-hosted a two-day global conference in Toronto on September 28, 2026, focused on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. During the event, Anand announced $863,000 in new funding for Ukrainian civil society groups assisting returned families, bringing Canada's total financial contribution to $7 million.

Anand revealed that Canada is utilizing artificial intelligence to trace the whereabouts of prisoners of war and abducted children. She characterized Russia's actions as a "systematic effort to separate Ukrainian children from Ukraine," accusing the Russian state of altering children's identities to obstruct their return.

The conference highlighted a stark gap in recovery efforts: while Ukrainian authorities have records of over 20,651 unlawful deportations, only 2,573 children have been returned. Survivors present at the event described being indoctrinated and trained as soldiers in Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea. The Bring Kids Back coalition and Save Ukraine reported that returned children have suffered physical and sexual violence.

While all G7 nations and most European states attended the summit, several G20 countries, including China, Brazil, and India, were absent. The event emphasized the ongoing need for international cooperation to pressure Russia into releasing the remaining children.