Young man returns from Russian occupation after 3 years of pressure and threats to his family
Photo: Russia pressures children in occupied territories with propaganda and threats (Getty Images)
As part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, a 20-year-old young man was returned from Russian-occupied territory. He spent more than three years under constant pressure, said Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office.
"The occupiers forced him to apply for Russian documents and threatened his family. The example of his sister, who had earlier managed to escape to free territory, encouraged him to take the road back home," Yermak noted.
He added that today, thanks to the assistance of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and the Humanity initiative, the young man is safe with his family and "is receiving the necessary assistance and support in Ukraine."
"We are fulfilling the President’s task — to bring back all our children," Yermak stated.
Photo: the young man spent more than three years under pressure from Russian forces (t.me/ermaka2022)
Earlier, Ukraine managed to return a teenage girl who had also spent over three years under Russian pressure and separated from her mother.
How Ukraine is bringing children back from the occupation and Russia
Ukraine has been able to return some children from occupied territories and Russia, though the enemy continues to abduct them and transfer them to its own territory.
In response, President Zelenskyy launched the Bring Kids Back UA initiative aimed at returning Ukrainian children to their homeland.
The international community has not ignored Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently urged Moscow to immediately return them to Ukraine.
The United States has also reacted. In August, US First Lady Melania Trump sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to ensure the well-being of Ukrainian children.
Washington has also warned Russia and Belarus that they risk being legally designated as state sponsors of terrorism over the issue of abducted Ukrainian children.
The aggressor frequently forces Ukrainian children to speak Russian, sing the Russian anthem, and absorb propaganda through various methods.
