Three young adults were successfully brought back from the temporarily occupied territory

As part of the Ukrainian President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the joint efforts of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and the NGO Compass of Dreams helped return three more young people from Russian-controlled territories — Karyna*, Maksym*, and Kostia*.

All three came under Russian control as children. Each has a different story, but they share the same determination: to return to Ukraine and freely build their own future.

Karyna* had dreamed of leaving the occupation while she was still a minor. However, without the necessary authorization from her mother, she was unable to leave. Despite these obstacles, she refused to give up and continued preparing to enter a Ukrainian university.

Since the summer, specialists had stayed in touch with Karyna and helped her apply to a university in Kyiv. She successfully enrolled and began studying remotely while still living under occupation.

As soon as Karyna turned 18, the teams were able to organize her safe departure. Her uncle is waiting for her in Kyiv.

Maksym* and Kostia* came under Russian occupation back in 2014, when they were still children. Their parents later took them to Russia, where they spent years living in Gelendzhik.

It was there that the two met. When they discovered that they were both originally from Ukraine and wanted to return to territory controlled by Ukraine, they decided to make the journey together.

Maksym and Kostia learned about the possibility of receiving assistance from a friend whom the teams had previously helped leave the occupation. After they reached out, the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and Compass of Dreams worked together to organize their return.

Today, Karyna, Maksym, and Kostia are already on territory controlled by Ukraine. Behind them are years spent under Russian control, restrictions, and uncertainty. Ahead lie adaptation, education, new opportunities, and the freedom to finally build their own futures.

We continue working so that Ukrainian children and young people who remain under Russian control can receive the support they need and return home safely.

*The names have been changed for security reasons.

The return was made possible with the support of the German Federal Government through the project “JOFU: Joining Forces for Child Protection in Ukraine,” implemented by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network together with the Joining Forces consortium and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.