Rescue of Ukrainian Children from Occupation: New Accounts

Another 12 Ukrainian children have been successfully brought back home as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

This was reported by Darija Zarivna, advisor to the President of Ukraine. She shared the stories of several kids who were returned from occupation. 

A total of 12 children have returned to Ukraine 

Among them is a boy from a large family. 

The occupying authorities threatened to send children to an orphanage if they did not attend a Russian propaganda school. 

The boy was forcibly registered for military conscription. At school, he was humiliated for speaking Ukrainian, and his older brother was taken away and tortured.

Another 10-year-old boy was nearly taken from his grandmother by Russian soldiers while he was trying to escape alone. 

Armed Russian soldiers separated them and took the boy to an unknown location.

Thanks to partner assistance, the evacuation of the grandmother and grandson was successful. 

Details on the Return of Ukrainian Children from Occupation

Earlier, Darija Zarivna, the director of Bring Kids Back UA, mentioned that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has taken 744,000 Ukrainian children to its territory.

«According to human rights organizations, about 1.6 million children remain in temporarily occupied territories. Russia claims to have taken at least 744,000 Ukrainian children to its territory, mostly with their parents,» Zarivna stated.

However, Kyiv cannot confirm or refute this data as Russia does not provide relevant information to Ukraine and international organizations. 

Ukraine continues its efforts to return illegally taken children. 

On April 9, six Ukrainian children were successfully returned from occupation.

Two children were brought back home on April 2, and five more on March 29. 

Additionally, seven children were evacuated to territories controlled by Kyiv in early March. 

In the President's Office, it was reported that Russia controls up to 1.6 million minors, including those deported or living in occupied territories.