Seven children and teenagers returned from temporarily occupied territories
Another seven Ukrainian children and teenagers have been returned from territories temporarily occupied by Russia.
The Bring Kids Back UA organisation said this on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
"All of them endured pressure, humiliation, and attempts to impose a foreign identity on them. Today, these children and teenagers are finally safe," the statement said.
Stories of the rescued children and teenagers
- Nineteen-year-old Viktor. For several years, the young man lived in a frontline area under constant shelling and without communication. The last straw came when an enemy shell landed in a neighbouring yard and the blast fragments shattered the windows in his room. Today, Viktor can finally sleep in silence and plans to continue his studies at a Ukrainian educational institution.
- Eighteen-year-old Dmytro. The Russian authorities tried to conscript him into the Russian armed forces despite serious health problems. One of the officers told him directly: "How long can you keep studying? Go and fight."
- Six-year-old Nika. At kindergarten, the girl was forced to march under the watch of armed guards. Her mother dreamed of saving her daughter from propaganda and enrolling her in a Ukrainian school.
- Eighteen-year-olds Marko and Mykhailo. The brothers risked being forcibly mobilised into the Russian army every day. Several of their peers were taken straight from exams and coursework assessments. To avoid that fate, the boys were forced to hide and secretly study online at a Ukrainian educational institution. Today, they are already in territory under Ukrainian control and dream of working for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine to save others.
The children are already receiving assistance
These children, along with two others rescued last week, have already been given a chance at a new life. They are currently staying at Hope and Recovery centres, where they are receiving psychological support, help with documents, accommodation and care, everything needed for a gradual return to a peaceful life.
"However, thousands of Ukrainian children still remain in the temporarily occupied territories. The occupation authorities are intensifying pressure, trying to forcibly mobilise teenagers and making return routes more difficult," the organisation added.
