Pavel Astakhov, the Russian children’s rights ombudsman, said in an interview with the Izvestiya newspaper recently that the country will not tolerate any online trading in orphaned children. In his comments, Mr. Astakhov referred to the existence of such illegal Internet sites discovered in the U.S. The number of children illegally traded by the U.S.-based site was between 25,000 and 30,000 persons. At least 26 of them were of Russian origin. Mr. Astakhov said that more Russian-adopted children could be involved in the illegal exchange on the U.S.-based site.

Pavel Astakhov advocated for the Dima Yakovlev law that prevented U.S. citizens from adopting Russian orphans. Mr. Astakhov said that Russia benefited from the law, and in 2013 adoption rates increased inside of Russia. A waiting list for adoptions was created in Russia for the first time in many years, according to the ombudsman. About 20,000 Russians were seeking to adopt orphaned children by the start of 2013. The situation with domestic adoptions dramatically turned around during the last five years.

Russian families are now more willing to adopt children with disabilities. In 2011, the number of children with disabilities adopted by Americans was 89, out of a total of 176 children adopted by foreigners. 1,175 children were adopted by Russian citizens. In 2012, the number of children adopted by Russian families increased.

Ombudsman Astakhov noted that Americans have a tendency to adopt healthy children from newborns to six-year-old children. At the same time, adoption has become a very profitable business. Mr. Astakhov stated that children must stay in Russia and that adoption to the U.S will never take place again.

Mr. Astakhov also noted that the entire problem of orphans will soon be eliminated in Russia. The optimistic adoption rates indicate that in seven to eight years the number of families willing to adopt children in Russia will equal the number of children seeking adoption.