BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — An installation of 20,000 teddy bears representing Ukrainian children abducted by Russia came to Bakersfield's Central Valley, drawing attention to what organizers call an ongoing war crime.
The display, called "Bring Kids Back," was set up Saturday. Each bear carries a message claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin has abducted that many Ukrainian children since the war in Ukraine began.
Mira Rubin, president of the nonprofit Shield of Freedom, said the installation is meant to raise awareness about an issue many people are unaware of.
"At least 20,000 of Ukrainian children, but some estimates are hundreds of thousands of children," Rubin said.
Rubin said her organization provides aid to people in Ukraine, but noted that the separation of children from their families remains largely unknown to the public.
"So it's what Russia is doing with Ukrainian children is unspeakable, and, you know, it cannot continue," Rubin said.
"This is a horrendous war crime, and many people don't know about it. So we are hoping that with this installation, we are letting people know that this is happening, and they will do something about it," Rubin said.
Iryna Shifman, co-founder of Globe 4 Ukraine, said the display first appeared in April in the nation's capital before making its way to the Central Valley.
"Today, indoctrination abduction and militarization of Ukrainian children, it's a very important issue, not only humanitarian tragedy, but it's also on the level of global threat to democracy," Shifman said.
Rubin said the goal extends beyond the local community.
"So we wanted to bring awareness to the world, not just for the resident of Bakersfield and local communities here," Rubin said.
Rubin said she hopes families will soon be reunited.
"We have to get these children back, and these families are really suffering right now," Rubin said.
The installation is expected to travel next to either Arizona or Washington, D.C.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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