On July 24, thanks to the joint efforts of Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, seven Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories returned to Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Seven Ukrainian children were successfully returned to Ukraine from the temporarily occupied territories through collaborative efforts.
- Ukrainian children in the occupied territories face threats of deportation, Russification, and indoctrination by Russian forces.
- The documentary Mutilated Childhood unveils the stories of children victimized by Russia's war against Ukraine, highlighting the urgent need for child protection.
- Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children from the TOT poses a significant danger to their safety and well-being, with many children facing forced relocation and military indoctrination.
- Ukraine remains committed to ensuring the safety and future of every Ukrainian child, fighting against Russian efforts to eradicate Ukrainian identity among children in the TOT.
Ukraine returned seven more children abducted by Russia
Another 7 Ukrainian children returned home. Mykola Kuleba, the founder and head of Save Ukraine, announced this.
Our Ukrainian children have returned home! Seven Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories returned to Ukraine.
Mykola Kuleba
Founder and head of Save Ukraine
It was possible to return to Ukraine:
A 12-year-old girl whose parents serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For a long time, they looked for an opportunity to evacuate their daughter, because the children of servicemen at the TOT are under close control.
Two brothers, 15 and 19 years old. A month ago, the FSB detained their parents, and nothing is known about them at the moment. Russian special services also interrogated the older brother. It was very difficult to get the boys out of the occupied territory, but now they are safe under the temporary care of their godmother.
An 18-year-old boy and a 19-year-old girl from the Kherson region, who were abandoned by their parents in the occupied territory. They received threats because of their pro-Ukrainian position. Now Ukraine will provide them with the necessary support and help them start a new life.
A 14-year-old boy, who could not leave the temporarily occupied territory because of the city destroyed by Russian troops, was finally reunited with his mother after two years of separation.
The seventh child is a teenage boy whose mother is still under occupation.
Since 2014, 1.5 million Ukrainian children are in the occupied territories and the territory of the Russian Federation. Many of them have been illegally deported or forcibly relocated, the rest remain at risk of deportation. All of them are currently subject to Russian indoctrination. The greatest threat hangs over those who refuse to accept Russian citizenship, attend classes saturated with Russian propaganda, and join paramilitary groups.
Russia continues its policy of eradicating Ukrainian identity. With no safe evacuation routes, living under conditions of forced Russification, military indoctrination and the threat of deportation, Ukrainian children in the TOT need our protection. Ukraine is fighting for its future and is doing everything possible to ensure that each of our children is safe, Kuleba said.
What is known about Russia's abduction of children from the TOT of Ukraine
In 2023, the Online.UA team presented the documentary "Mutilated Childhood", which reveals the truth about Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The film contains real stories of children and their families affected by Russia's war against Ukraine, comments by leading scientists, psychologists, lawyers and experts on the protection of children's rights.
The heroes of the tape went through Russian captivity, torture, abduction to a health camp, some were separated from their parents during the so-called filtering measures.
