Military training at 9 and threats: 23 more children and teenagers brought back from occupation

Over the past week, 23 more children and teenagers have been brought back from the occupied territories to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA

Details: The initiative reported that the returnees are currently receiving psychological support and assistance with documents. Each of them experienced constant pressure, threats and fear, but today this is finally behind them.

Among those rescued is nine-year-old Stefan, who was involved in military training at a school under Russian occupation. The boy was forced to throw grenades and taught how to assemble and disassemble weapons.

When Stefan drew a blue and yellow flag, officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) summoned his mother to school, threatened her and demanded that she raise her child in the spirit of Russian propaganda.

Another returnee, 13-year-old Polina, survived an attack by a Russian combat drone near her home. After that, she was afraid to go outside.

However, it was not safe even at home, as the Russian military conducted searches. In addition, the Russians destroyed home antennas in an attempt to restrict people's access to information.

Twenty-year-old Mariana also made it to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Armed Russians forcibly escorted her home to check her documents and repeatedly interrogated her at checkpoints.

At school, she also faced systematic Russian propaganda: teachers sent in from Russia denied the very existence of Ukraine as a country and imposed Russian narratives on the children.

Background:

• In October, three young people were also returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Among them were two boys who met while living in the Russian Federation, where they had been taken by their parents.
• On 10 October, sixteen more Ukrainians were brought back from the Russian occupation for Ukrainian-controlled territory.

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