"They were taught to hate their homeland": six children brought back to Ukraine from Russian occupation

Six more children have been brought back from Russian-occupied territories to government-controlled areas of Ukraine.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA initiative

Details: Among those evacuated was 16-year-old Andrii (name changed for security reasons), whose father did not survive torture by the Russians. The man had refused to collaborate with the Russian troop, and they repeatedly abducted him, tortured him with electric shocks and even forced him to dig his own grave.

The man eventually died due to severe beatings. At the funeral, Andrii was threatened with being placed under Russian custody. He has now been rescued from the occupation and reunited with his family.

Sisters Olia and Maryna, aged 9 and 13, who had been living with their grandmother, were also brought back. The Russians demanded that Russian custody be arranged for the girls, threatening to take them away otherwise.

While under occupation, the sisters experienced Russian propaganda in educational institutions.

"In class, the occupiers were preparing them for ‘Ukrainian attacks’. They were taught to fear and hate their homeland," Bring Kids Back UA reported.

Mariia, 17, had a similar experience. At school, she was forced to assemble rifles, wear St George ribbons and display the Russian flag [St George ribbons are black and orange symbols used in Russia to mark military pride, now often linked to pro-war propaganda and Russian aggression – ed.]. She said children were referred to as "future soldiers". Russian social services also attempted to take Mariia away from her aunt, with whom she lived.

Another girl, underage Anastasiia, lived in constant fear under occupation and was constantly persecuted by the Russians. Bring Kids Back UA reported that Russian soldiers regularly searched her home, harassed her and threatened her with weapons when she refused their advances. To protect herself, the Ukrainian girl wore a fake wedding ring, but this did not deter the Russians.

Anastasiia is now safe and has been reunited with her brother and sister, who were brought back earlier.

Background: A four-year-old girl who had been living with her grandmother in occupied territory was also recently brought back to Ukrainian-controlled land. Her father had tried to evacuate the family himself, but his attempts were unsuccessful.

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