Ukraine has brought back eight children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories to areas under Kyiv’s control over the past week, according to the humanitarian NGO Save Ukraine.
The organization said the children were evacuated with the help of partners under the framework of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA, News.Az reports, citing Kyiv Independent.
“Yet thousands of children remain trapped, forced to forget their roots while being openly prepared for war. But we will not stop,” Save Ukraine said in a statement on social media.
Among those returned is 15-year-old Kseniia, who reportedly faced pressure in a Russian school where she was told that “Ukraine does not exist,” according to the NGO.
Another teenager, 16-year-old Lev, decided to leave the occupied territories after receiving a military draft notice at home. He also said his school used a mobile application installed on students’ phones to monitor and control them.
Fifteen-year-old Maria was also returned. She had refused to attend a Russian school for two years, but later faced threats that her mother could lose parental rights. Save Ukraine said prolonged isolation and pressure from authorities had a serious impact on her health.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of deporting and forcibly transferring children from occupied territories. According to Ukraine’s national “Children of War” database, at least 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-controlled areas since February 2022, while around 1.6 million remain in occupied regions.
Officials warn the real number may be significantly higher. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has estimated up to 150,000 children, while presidential children’s rights commissioner Daria Herasymchuk has suggested figures could reach 200,000–300,000.
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
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