Last week, four more children were brought back from the temporarily occupied Kherson and Donetsk regions as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Save Ukraine team.
These children had been separated from their families due to the war, and the moment of their return was deeply emotional. Witnessing their reunification is a reminder of why this mission is so important.
One of the returned children, Artem, went to assist his grandparents in early 2022. Tragically, the war separated him from his parents for two and a half years. Despite the challenges of living under occupation, Artem refused to attend a Russian school or obtain a Russian passport. He remained committed to his education, connecting to a Ukrainian online school through a local store, even at the risk of being discovered and punished.
Artem’s story is a stark example of the deliberate efforts by Russian forces to break families apart and strip Ukrainian children of their national identity. This is why Ukraine continues to work tirelessly to rescue children from temporarily occupied territories and prevent them from being deported to Russia.
Every child deserves a safe, loving home and the opportunity to grow up in their homeland.