French actor Jean Reno publishes spy thriller about abduction of Ukrainian children
French actor Jean Reno has published the spy thriller L'Évasion (The Escape) about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia, with the book released in early April.
Source: Reno in an interview with French weekly magazine Télé 7
Details: Reno said the idea for the thriller emerged after he learnt in 2024 that over 20,000 Ukrainian children had been abducted by Russia.
Quote: "I was extremely shocked. I thought it was madness that these children were being abducted to be brainwashed. I'm not involved in politics – I wanted to turn this into a novel."
Details: The story's main character, a former massage therapist named Emma, joins France's external intelligence service, the DGSE. Working undercover, she must travel to Siberia, where Ukrainian children are being held.
The book was published in early April by the French publishing house XO Éditions. It is the second story about Emma. The first novel, Emma, became an international bestseller.
Background: As of November 2025, about 20,000 reports had been received regarding the abduction or forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Some of them have been adopted, while others remain in 43 "re-education" camps across Russia. At least 668 children have been killed and more than 2,200 injured in Ukraine.
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