23 children and teenagers were rescued from occupation

Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 23 children and teenagers from Russian occupation. This became possible thanks to the support of partners within the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of them endured constant pressure, threats, and fear, but today that is finally behind them.

Among those rescued:

🔹 9-year-old Stefan, who was subjected to military training at an occupation-controlled school, where children were forced to throw grenades and taught how to assemble and disassemble weapons. When Stefan drew a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag, FSB officers summoned his mother to the school, threatened the family, and demanded that she raise him in line with Russian propaganda.

🔹 13-year-old Polina, who survived an attack by a Russian combat drone near her home. Afterwards, she became so frightened that she was afraid to go outside. Home offered little safety either: armed Russian soldiers carried out searches, while occupation forces destroyed household antennas in an attempt to restrict people’s access to information.

🔹 20-year-old Mariana, who was forced by armed Russian soldiers to return home under escort for a document check and was repeatedly interrogated at checkpoints. At an occupation-controlled school, she was also subjected to systematic Russian propaganda, with teachers brought in from Russia denying Ukraine’s very existence and imposing Russian narratives on students.

For these children and 20 others, occupation is now behind them. They are currently undergoing reintegration at Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, safe shelter, and the care they need for a new beginning.

Yet hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children remain under Russian control. The occupation authorities continue to intensify pressure, attempt to erase children’s Ukrainian identity, and prepare them for service in the Russian military.

We sincerely thank our partners Vitali Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, Humanity Funds, and the Joint Center for Search and Release for their support and cooperation.

We will continue our work until every Ukrainian child is returned home.