Five Ukrainian Children Rescued from Russian-Occupied Territories, Including Teenagers Forced into Military Training

Five Ukrainian children have been returned from Russian-occupied territories under President Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, with the support of Save Ukraine, according to Daria Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, on December 17.

Among the rescued children are a 6-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister, who had not attended school or kindergarten for three years. Their parents refused to send them to Russian educational institutions, which are heavily influenced by propaganda.

Another child, 10-year-old Nastia, lived in a village that had been isolated since the start of the full scale invasion. Russian forces prevented the delivery of any humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and clothing.

Two teenagers, 15-year-old Ihor and 17-year-old Denys, were forced by Russian occupational authorities to undergo military training and were issued draft notices for service in the Russian army. For them, escaping to Ukrainian-controlled territory became a matter of survival.

"Today, all these children are back in Ukraine, where they are met with safety, care, and a bright future. However, thousands of children still remain in Russia and temporarily occupied territories, and we will not stop until we bring every one of them home," Zarivna stated.

On December 10, Ukraine returned five children from the temporarily Russian-occupied territories, as reported by Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.