Ukraine returns 6 children from temporarily occupied territories
Illustrative photo: Ukraine returned 6 children from the temporarily occupied territories (Getty Images)
Six more children have been returned from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine under Russian control, according to the director of Bring Kids Back UA, Daria Zarivna.
This time, among those returned was a family with two children who had been living under occupation for an extended period.
"The younger child had health problems, but there was no access to necessary medical assistance. The parents repeatedly tried to leave on their own, but each time they encountered obstacles from the occupying authorities," the message states.
Another story is that of a girl and her mother, who refused to accept Russian documents. This made them targets of constant psychological pressure, blackmail, and direct threats. Eventually, the situation became so critical that the family had to seek help for evacuation.
"I thank the Office of the Ombudsman for assisting in organizing the rescue mission, as well as the State of Qatar. We will continue to work until every Ukrainian child is brought home," Zarivna wrote.
Deportation of Ukrainian children
According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has deported over 19.5 thousand children from Ukraine. More than a thousand young Ukrainians have managed to return home.
The National Resistance Center, however, stated that Russia is taking Ukrainian children from the occupied territories under the guise of "cultural trips." A total of 3,000 children are planned to be abducted.
The deportation of Ukrainian children was the reason behind the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
