Ukraine brings back 17 more children from occupation: Presidential Office reveals details
Photo: Ukraine brings back 17 more children from occupation (t.me/ermaka2022)
Ukraine has managed to bring back 17 more children and teenagers from the territory temporarily occupied by Russia. This was carried out within the framework of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, according to the Telegram channel of Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
"As part of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 17 Ukrainian children and teenagers have been rescued from the temporarily occupied territories," Yermak reported.
According to him, Russian soldiers took a 17-year-old boy in the middle of the night for hours of interrogation at gunpoint — without his parents or any legal representatives present. He was threatened and intimidated because of his pro-Ukrainian stance.
A 16-year-old girl was threatened with being taken away from her mother for refusing Russian documents and education under the occupation curriculum.
A 15-year-old boy and his 13-year-old sister miraculously survived a cluster munition attack, and later the occupation authorities gave them an ultimatum: either the children attend a Russian school, or the family must leave their home.
"Today, all the children are already safe: they are receiving psychological support and can begin a new life in free Ukraine. I thank Save Ukraine and all our partners for helping to rescue the children. We are fulfilling the President’s task — to bring all our children home," the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.
Deportation of Ukrainian children
According to Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has deported more than 19,500 children from Ukraine.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine has managed to bring back 1,625 children from Russia thanks to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
The deportation of Ukrainian children was the reason the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
Recently, it was reported that the number of countries willing to assist in the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia has grown. This also concerns children who remain in occupied territories.
In addition, in recent days, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with US First Lady Melania Trump, with the main topic of discussion being the protection of Ukrainian children.
In April, the Verkhovna Rada passed in the first reading a draft law establishing liability for the illegal transfer and use of children for military purposes by representatives of a foreign state.
Moreover, a bipartisan group of US senators is calling to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over the mass deportation of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories.
