Two young adults are rescued from occupation

Within the framework of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, through the joint efforts of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and Humanity, two young people — Kostia* and Artem* — were able to leave the temporarily occupied territory and return to Ukraine-controlled territory.

When Kostia turned 18, he realized that he did not see his future under occupation and wanted to leave for Ukraine-controlled territory. His brother and cousin were waiting for him there and had been looking for a way to help him for a long time.

Organizing the journey independently was difficult: the route was dangerous and required significant financial resources, and there was no certainty that the departure would be successful. The family therefore reached out for assistance.

Artem* was living with his grandmother when their town came under Russian occupation. For a long time, the young man hesitated to leave because he was worried about his grandmother and did not want to leave her alone. Eventually, Artem managed to persuade her to leave together.

Specialists from the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, together with Humanity, helped plan safe routes, coordinated all stages of the journey, and supported the young men and their relatives on their way to Ukraine-controlled territory.

Today, Kostia and Artem are safe. Behind them are a difficult journey and months of uncertainty. Ahead lies adaptation to a new life, the opportunity to be close to their loved ones, and the freedom to make plans for their future in Ukraine.

We continue our work to ensure that Ukrainian children and young people who remain under Russian control can receive the assistance they need and safely return home.

*Names have been changed for security reasons.

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