Ukraine returns two children who have lived their whole lives under occupation
Illustrative photo: Ukraine returned two children who had lived their entire lives under occupation (Getty Images)
Ukraine managed to return a brother and sister who had spent their entire lives under occupation. Their hometown was captured by Russian forces back in 2014, according to a Telegram post by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
"As part of the President of Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative, it was possible to bring back a brother and sister who had spent their entire lives under occupation," said Yermak.
According to him, the hometown of Inna and Anton was occupied back in 2014. The children were raised by their grandmother after their father was killed, and their mother was deprived of parental rights. After the full-scale invasion began, the grandmother decided they needed to leave their hometown, where it had become increasingly dangerous.
Unable to immediately reach the territory controlled by Ukraine, the family went to relatives in Russia. However, they continued to search for a way to return to their homeland, where their uncle was waiting for the children.
"Today, the children are finally home, in their native country. I am grateful to the specialists of the Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights for organizing this rescue mission," the head of the Office of the President added.
Photo: Ukraine returned two children who had lived their whole lives under occupation (t.me/ermaka)
Deportation of Ukrainian children
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been deporting Ukrainian children en masse. They are taken to Belarus, Russia, and some to occupied Crimea.
According to ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has deported more than 19,500 children from Ukraine. Over a thousand young Ukrainians have been successfully returned home.
The deportation of Ukrainian children was the reason for the International Criminal Court in The Hague issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.
