Ukraine brings back 11 children from Russian occupation

Eleven Ukrainian children and teenagers have been brought back from temporarily occupied territories. The operation was carried out by Bring Kids Back UA with the assistance of Save Ukraine.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA on Facebook

Details: Among those rescued is nine-year-old Alina. Her family had long been afraid to leave because her father is a former serviceman.

The Russians regularly check on such families, carrying out searches, interrogations and intimidation. Any attempt to seek help could have been dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Miia lived in a village that was constantly under Russian attack, with drones regularly dropping munitions on houses and yards.

After Miia photographed a destroyed house in her area, Russians came to her home and later summoned the Federal Security Service (FSB). Miia was forbidden to document any damage and threatened with "being held accountable".

Yevhen, 17, spent all his school years under occupation. He was forced to go to cadet classes and attend so-called "disciplinary discussions" and military-patriotic events.

"The boy realised that when he reached 18, they would try to forcibly mobilise him into the army of the occupying state," Bring Kids Back UA said.

Sixteen-year-old Matvii and his eight-year-old sister Alisa have also been brought back to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Under pressure from Russian guardianship bodies, the family was forced to enrol the children in a Russian school.

There, they were subjected to propaganda narratives about the so-called "reunification" of the occupied territories and the denigration of Ukraine. When Matvii's details were passed to a Russian military enlistment office, the family realised they could no longer put off leaving.

Quote: "We sincerely thank our partners, Save Ukraine, We Are All Ukrainians 2022, Humanity, the Helping to Leave team, and the Joint Coordination Centre for the Search and Release of Prisoners of War and Civilians Illegally Deprived of Liberty as a Result of Aggression against Ukraine, for their joint efforts in rescuing Ukrainian children."

Previously: Seven Ukrainian children who had been taken to Russia or occupied territories were brought back home with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump.

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