A diplomatic dispute has erupted as Italian courts prevent the return of dozens of evacuated Ukrainian minors, prompting Kyiv to draw comparisons to forced deportations.

When a Ukrainian children’s home director took the minors in her care to Italy after Russia invaded, she had no idea their return would become a legal battlefield.

When a Ukrainian children’s home director took the minors in her care to Italy after Russia invaded, she had no idea their return would become a legal battlefield.