The Save Ukraine team brought back 13 Ukrainian children and teenagers from temporarily occupied territories over the past week. All of them faced threats, psychological pressure and danger to their lives.
This was reported by the President of Ukraine’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Save Ukraine CEO Mykola Kuleba.
The rescue mission was carried out with the support of partners as part of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA.
Among those rescued is 13-year-old Andrii. According to Save Ukraine, he lived in a city where Russian combat drones deliberately attacked civilians. The occupation authorities threatened to strip his parents of custody if the boy did not attend a Russian school.
There, children were forced to draw Russian soldiers, take ideological tests and absorb Russian propaganda.
Another of those rescued is 18-year-old Luka. Russian troops seized his home, and the boy himself was blackmailed into attending an occupation school, where teenagers were openly recruited into the Russian army. After he turned 18, he was sent a draft notice despite serious health problems.
13-year-old Nina was also taken out of occupation. Her parents were threatened with reprisals for refusing to send their daughter to a Russian school.
According to Save Ukraine, pupils there were forced every day to sing the Russian national anthem and wear St George ribbons.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia has begun sending abducted Ukrainian children who grew up during this war into its army.