Two more children brought home from Russian-occupied territories: their father, who survived captivity, was waiting for them

Two children have been brought from the Russian-occupied territory to territory controlled by Ukraine. Waiting for the children here was their father, who was brought back from Russian captivity and is now undergoing rehabilitation.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA initiative

Details: For Dmytro and Kira, the full-scale war meant years of separation from their father. At the start of the full-scale invasion, the man was in a different oblast, while the children remained under Russian occupation with their mother, grandmother and grandfather.

Dmytro had only managed to finish four years of Ukrainian schooling. When it became impossible to continue studying online, the boy was forced to transfer to a Russian school. There, children were fed Russian propaganda, told about Russia's "military glory" and encouraged to join the Yunarmiya (Young Army) youth military movement.

Kira was due to start nursery school, but her family refused to send her to a Russian institution. As a result, the girl's relatives faced pressure and threats from the Russian-appointed occupation authorities.

The family's greatest wish was to reunite with their father, restore the children's opportunity to study under the Ukrainian curriculum and secure a dignified future for them. Dmytro, Kira and their mother are now in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Thanks to the Ukrainian Navy's Anhely (Angels) special reconnaissance unit, Daryna was also rescued. Before the full-scale invasion, the teenager lived with her mother in Kherson Oblast. She had lost her father in childhood, and in 2024 lost her mother too. The girl was left alone in the Russian-occupied territory.

Despite this, Daryna continued her studies. She completed nine years of Ukrainian schooling, but was later forced to finish her education under the Russian curriculum. She also managed to complete two years at university.

Daryna said Russian troops had searched her home and questioned her about her attitude towards Ukraine's Armed Forces and her contacts with people in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The girl wanted to leave occupation, continue her studies at a Ukrainian university, and build her life in territory free from Russia.

Background: Recently, four Ukrainian children were brought back from temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson oblasts. They were evacuated with the assistance of US First Lady Melania Trump.

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