Ukraine returns eight children from temporarily occupied Crimea
Photo: Ukraine has returned eight children from temporarily occupied Crimea (Getty Images)
Eight children have been returned from temporarily occupied Crimea. The Russians took them from their mother, forcing her to send them to an orphanage, according to the Telegram account of Daria Zarivna, advisor to the head of President's Office Andriy Yermak.
"As part of the Bring Kids Back UA Ukrainian president's initiative, another eight Ukrainian children have been rescued from temporarily occupied Crimea," she said.
According to the advisor, their story is an example of the systematic cruelty of Russia.
"The children were forcibly taken from their mother while she was in the hospital, and she was threatened into sending them to an orphanage," she continued.
At the institution, the children were subjected to bullying, and forced to participate in propaganda events and militaristic clubs, where they were taught how to handle weapons and prepare for war.
"All of this is part of Russia's policy aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity," Zarivna stated.
Recently, operations to return children from temporarily occupied Crimea and other regions of Ukraine have been ongoing. For example, Ukraine recently managed to return another 12 children from Russian occupation. This occurred as part of the same Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
At the end of January, Ukraine managed to return a brother and sister who had lived their entire lives under occupation. Their hometown had been captured by the Russian forces back in 2014.
