'Speaking Ukrainian was risky': Two more teens rescued from occupation
Photo: Two more teenagers rescued from occupation (GettyImages)
Two more children who spent a long time living in temporarily occupied territories have returned to Ukraine, said Dariia Zarivna, adviser to the head of the Presidential Office.
It is known that one of the boys spent three years under occupation with his mother. He refused to attend school because the education there was "saturated with Russian propaganda."
"They were waiting for liberation, but with each passing month, the situation became increasingly dangerous - people disappeared after searches, and speaking Ukrainian was risky even at home," Zarivna wrote.
The other boy had just finished school. He decided not to accept the reality of the occupation and left for Ukrainian-controlled territory.
"Thanks to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, the volunteer initiative Humanity, and the Save Ukraine organization, who helped the teens take this step toward freedom and a better future," the statement said.
Abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia
According to preliminary data, since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has deported around 19,500 Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories to Russia. These figures are approximate, and the actual number of abducted children may be higher. In contrast, only just over a thousand children have been returned home.
Recently, as part of prisoner exchange agreements, the Kremlin proposed swapping Ukrainian children for Russian soldiers.
