Ukraine war: "Mothers of Kherson" opera opens in Poland

It is an opera that sets out to tell a tale of agony and loss, of Ukrainian children who were abducted by Russia, and of the mothers who risked everything to retrieve them. This is a story of over 20,000 children who have been kidnapped and are being indoctrinated into Russian society. The Mothers of Kherson was conceived by American libertist George Brandt. Early in the war, he read news reports of women who had travelled through Poland and Belarus into Russian territory to rescue their kids. Today, he feels the story is still pertinent. Thousands of families remain separated and there is no end to the conflict in sight. My hope is that this is arriving at actually a good time to kind of reawaken people's interest in this conflict. Moscow has denied deporting the children, saying they were transported away for their own safety. Witnesses say some of the children faced harsh treatment and indoctrination while in Russia. For the show's Ukrainian composer, the topic is deeply emotional. In fact, this story may be even more tragic than it appears. Because, for example, some of the boys who were abducted back then are already fighting on Russia's side against Ukraine. Mothers of Kherson is a co-production between Poland's National Opera and New York's Metropolitan Opera. It opened in Warsaw this week and will travel to the United States next year.