ua en ru

Ukraine rescues another group of children from Russian-occupied territory

Ukraine rescues another group of children from Russian-occupied territory Ukraine returns another group of children from occupation (photo: Getty Images)

Ukraine has managed to return another group of children from territory temporarily occupied by Russia. This took place as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, according to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

According to Yermak, among those rescued were:

  • a boy whose mother was killed and whose father lost his legs during a drone attack;

  • a sister and two brothers whose guardians were threatened with having the children taken away for refusing Russian documents;

  • fearless teenagers who sang the banned Ukrainian anthem even in a Russian school;

  • a family that lived on a mined street in constant fear of death. Some of them have finally reunited with their parents after nearly three years of separation.

"I thank Save Ukraine and all partners for assisting in the return of the children. We are fulfilling the president's task — to bring back all children," the Head of the Presidential Office said.

Deportation of Ukrainian children

According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has deported more than 19,500 children from Ukraine.

At the same time, more than one thousand young Ukrainians have been brought home, and the process continues.

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.

Additionally, in April, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) adopted as a basis a draft law introducing liability for the unlawful transfer and use of children for military purposes by representatives of a foreign state.