Ukrainian children have been brought back from occupation, say Russian drones target school route
A large group of children and teenagers have been brought back to Ukraine from Russian-occupied territory, including a teenager forced to undergo military training and two boys whose parents were pressured for money "for the needs of the Russian army".
Source: Bring Kids Back UA initiative; Save Ukraine humanitarian organisation
Details: Among the group of kids brought back to Ukrainian-controlled territory are siblings Mykola, 16, Tetiana, 11, and Anzhelika, 7. Their father is a serviceman. The Russians threatened the mother with taking the children away after she refused to send them to a Russian school. When the family travelled abroad, they were questioned for hours and forced to disclose their father's whereabouts.
While under occupation, brothers Kyrylo, 11, and Arsen, 9, were forced to attend the propaganda classes "Conversations about Important Things" at school several times a week. Their parents were also asked for money "for the needs of the Russian army". When the family refused to pay, a teacher began bullying the children and threatened to have them removed from their family.
Taras, 17, is now safe in Ukrainian-controlled territory too. He has spent most of his life under occupation. He was subjected to propaganda and forced through military training. He was taught to throw grenades and dismantle weapons and made to train in trench conditions.
The mother of 13-year-old Olesia was summoned to the village council and pressured to enrol her daughter in a Russian school despite Russian troops regularly dropping drones on the route to the school. After she refused, representatives of the so-called "military police" visited the family. They accused the woman of "adjusting fire" by feeding information to the Ukrainian forces and threatened to take her "to the basement".
Save Ukraine told Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life) that 18 children were brought back in this operation. They are now receiving psychological and humanitarian support.
Background: On 4 December, US First Lady Melania Trump said that seven Ukrainian children that had been abducted by Russia were brought back to their families.
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