22 children returned from TOT to Ukraine

These children have gone through fear, pressure, humiliation — and today they are finally safe. Among those rescued:

• 10-year-old Damir, who was forced to attend a Russian school, under threat of being sent for “examination” in occupied Crimea and given a fabricated psychiatric diagnosis. The boy’s mother was injured after their house was shelled and was also forced to pay a fine for a photo posted on social media.

• Sixteen-year-old Nazar and his younger brother Zakhar became exiles in their village because their parents, teachers, refused to work in a Russian school and take Russian passports. The family held out until the last moment, until representatives of the “children’s service” and the police came to their house. They filed a report against the boys’ father for not attending school and summoned him to a so-called “commission” to consider the charges.

• 14-year-old Olivia was forced to study in a Russian school, where she was bullied by her peers and called a “khokhlushka.” When her younger brother Matvey was born into the family, the girl’s mother was forced to get Russian documents for everyone. But as soon as her son grew up, the family decided to escape.

Today, all rescued children are safe, receiving psychological support, assistance with documents, a roof over their heads, and the necessary care.

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: