Melania Trump says six Ukrainian children returned from Russia to their families in Ukraine
US First Lady Melania Trump has facilitated the return of six more Ukrainian children from Russia to their families.
As reported by Censor.NET, this is stated in a White House statement.
The statement notes that this is already the fourth such reunification organized with her involvement. One more child is expected to be returned to their family in the near future.
Return of Ukrainian children to their homes
The White House emphasized that the issue of returning children remains one of the key humanitarian challenges amid the war. Efforts in this area continue with the participation of international partners.
"Reunifying children with their loved ones in this region of the world remains one of the most important global issues today. I am encouraged that both sides remain committed to ongoing cooperation, raising the safety and well-being of children above this abhorrent war.," Melania Trump said.
According to official Ukrainian government data, more than 20,000 Ukrainian children have ended up in Russia and temporarily occupied territories since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Scale of the problem and international response
Ukrainian officials stress that the real scale may be significantly larger. According to estimates by Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, the figure amounts to tens of thousands of children, while according to Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Daria Herasymchuk, it may reach hundreds of thousands.
As of December 2025, Ukraine has managed to return 1,876 children, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
- The international community has also responded to these developments. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudsperson Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
