Ukrainian Servicewoman Reunites With Son After Three Years Under Russian Occupation

A Ukrainian servicewoman was reunited today, on December 9, with her son, who had been living under Russian occupation for the past three years.

This rescue was made possible through the Bring Kids Back UA  initiative and the efforts of Ukraine’s partners at the Ukrainian Child Rights Network.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vitalii lived with his mother and grandmother in Svatove, Luhansk region. However, after the invasion, the city faced intensified shelling and fell under occupation in March 2022.

At the start of the war, Vitalii’s mother enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend her country, entrusting his care to his grandmother. Two weeks ago, the grandmother passed away, leaving Vitalii alone in the occupied city, facing the imminent risk of deportation to Russia and placement in an orphanage.

Vitalii’s mother reached out to the Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights. Acting quickly, experts created a safe route and began the evacuation process.

Yesterday, Vitalii safely crossed the Ukrainian border with the support of a psychologist from the Ukrainian Network and was reunited with his mother. He is now back home, safe and free on Ukrainian soil.

For security reasons, the child’s name has been changed.

As of December 7, 2024, Ukraine, with the support of international partners, has successfully brought back 1,029 Ukrainian children who had been deported to Russia.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has deported over 20,000 Ukrainian children, according to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights.