Ukraine brings home six more children from occupied part of Kherson region
Photo: Ukraine brings back six children from occupied Kherson region (Getty Images)
Ukraine has managed to return six more children from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region. The children are now safe and receiving the necessary support, according to Kherson Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin.
Details of the return
According to Prokudin, the group includes four boys and two girls between the ages of 8 and 17. All of them had been living for a long time under constant pressure, fear, and threats to their lives.
One 17-year-old girl was forced to attend an occupation-run school where children were turned into cadets against their will. They were dressed in Russian military uniforms and told every day that war was normal.
A 14-year-old girl secretly continued studying in a Ukrainian online school. Occupation authorities also denied her medical treatment and rehabilitation because her family refused to obtain Russian documents.
The rescue mission was carried out as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative with support from the Save Ukraine charity organization.
"Once again, I thank everyone involved for their tremendous efforts," Prokudin said.
Returning Ukrainians from the occupation
Ukraine continues efforts to bring its citizens back from occupied territories. As part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, authorities previously rescued a mother and her infant after Russian forces allegedly attempted to separate them.
Earlier, another seven Ukrainian children were evacuated from occupied territories where they had reportedly faced constant pressure from the Russian authorities and the risk of being conscripted into the Russian army.
To combat the deportation of Ukrainians, the government has introduced new sanctions against individuals responsible for these actions. Ukraine imposed sanctions on those involved in the deportation of children and blocked the operations of more than two dozen tankers linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
