Ukraine Rescues 14-Year-Old Girl From Russian-Occupied Territory Amid Threat of Forced Transfer to Orphanage

A 14-year-old girl, who Russian occupation authorities had planned to send to an orphanage in the Russian Federation, has been successfully evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak reported on August 11.

According to Yermak, the rescue was carried out within the framework of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. The girl was facing forced transfer to an orphanage in Russia by the occupying authorities.

Following the death of her father, a Ukrainian serviceman, she remained with relatives in territory temporarily occupied by Russia. There, Russian child welfare agencies exerted open pressure and intimidation, threatening to remove her from her family.

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Within just 24 hours, the team from the Ukrainian Child Rights Network managed to prepare all necessary documents, plan the evacuation route, and bring the girl to safety in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

As of now, she is with her grandmother, who had been waiting for her for years, and is receiving the necessary assistance for adaptation and recovery, Yermak said.

Earlier, Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine launched an online “catalog” listing Ukrainian children for adoption, categorizing them by physical features such as eye and hair color—a practice condemned as child trafficking.

The database, containing profiles of 294 children, is operated by the education department of the Russian-installed administration in the Luhansk region.

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