Ukraine returns group of children from territories temporarily occupied by Russia

Another group of Ukrainian children was rescued from Russian occupation last week!

This was reported by the head of the Save Ukraine organization Mykola Kuleba.

They are safe again, thanks to our Save Ukraine team and the support of all partners who joined forces in the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. These children have survived the horrors of war, loss, humiliation, and fear.

Mykola Kuleba

Head of the Save Ukraine organization

15-year-old Maria resisted the occupiers almost all her life: she went to Russian school in an embroidered vyshyvanka, argued with teachers. For this, her classmates called her "dill", bullied and beat her, and the teachers wrote denunciations and threatened to deprive her mother of parental rights. The only thing that helped Maria hold on was dancing.

The family of 4-year-old Milana and 8-year-old Sasha were constantly threatened with having their children taken away if they did not go to a Russian school. The mother was forced to obtain Russian documents, the grandmother was interrogated using a lie detector, and it was almost impossible to find the necessary medication for Milana, who was disabled.

17-year-old Semen decided not to wait until he was of age and to flee the occupation in order to avoid being drafted into the Russian army, especially after his classmates began to be drafted into the Russian army. Several of his classmates had already fallen into this trap: they were forced to join the ranks of the Russian army. And a representative of the military registration and enlistment office was already coming to his house, threatening him with a fine for not appearing for a summons, and then with reprisals.

15-year-old Lina was interrogated for 6 hours straight for a pro-Ukrainian comment on social media, her phone was taken away, and she was threatened with the local “police.” After that, the girl feared that she was being followed, and was afraid of being sent to a Russian “rest” camp.

Fortunately, these children and their families are now safe, surrounded by warmth and care at the Hope and Recovery Center.

To learn more about Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children, watch the documentary "Damaged Childhood," created by Ukrainian independent media and video production company Online.UA.