33 children and teenagers were rescued from occupation last week

Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 33 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:

🔹 19-year-old Andrii, whose school was turned by the occupiers into a medical point, while military equipment was stationed nearby. Because he refused to obtain a Russian passport, he was repeatedly stopped in the street, taken in for interrogations, and threatened with criminal prosecution.

🔹 19-year-old Mariia, who was forced to sing the Russian anthem during her studies and to install the Russian MAX app at work. She was also constantly exposed to propaganda, including calls to give birth to children who were portrayed as future recruits for the Russian army.

🔹 18-year-old Maksym, who faced the systematic militarization of education. Russian soldiers regularly came to his school to pressure teenagers into joining the Russian army, while students were forced to learn how to disassemble weapons during lessons. Later, at university, he was threatened with expulsion for refusing to vote for the United Russia party.

For these children and 30 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 teenagers for service in the Russian military.

We sincerely thank our partners Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, 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.