Girl, 18, forced to sing Russian anthem under scorching sun: how Ukrainian teenagers become Russia's hostages
Source: Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the charitable foundation Voices of Children, during the advocacy event People First, organised by the Center for Civil Liberties
Quote from Rozvadovska: "There is a girl – let's call her Ivanka. She has recently turned 18. She was 15 when the full-scale invasion began. She was born and raised in a city that is now occupied. Her parents have sided with Russia."
Despite her parents' support for the Russian invaders, Ivanka remained determined to stay in Ukraine. They forcibly took her to Russia, promising a 'heavenly life' with the chance to attend school and later university in Moscow or St Petersburg."
Details: Ivanka (name changed for security reasons) has persistently sought ways to get back to Ukraine, keeping in touch with her Ukrainian classmates and her teacher.
The girl refused to obtain a Russian passport, even though her parents insisted.
A big fight broke out at home. She ultimately ran away and travelled all the way from Russia to Ukraine on her own.
"The worst thing she describes is the experience of being interrogated by the Federal Security Service (FSB) while crossing the border," Rozvadovska says. "When we meet with such children in Kyiv, they say this is the most traumatic thing."
Ivanka was questioned by FSB officers wearing balaclavas. After they searched her phone and found a message reading "Glory to Ukraine", the interrogation intensified.
"They forced her to sing the Russian anthem, but she didn't know the words. They made her memorise it under the scorching sun, not even allowing her to stand in the shade. She was exhausted and terrified," Rozvadovska explained.
Eventually, Ivanka managed to sing the anthem. One of the FSB officers sang along but made several mistakes – neither he nor the girl knew the lyrics properly, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Ivanka now lives in Kyiv. But according to Rozvadovska, her case is one of the "softest" the Voices of Children foundation has encountered.
"Many children who came back from Russia report physical violence, psychological pressure, and manipulation. They were told things like, 'Nobody is waiting for you in Ukraine'," she said.
Many return in a severe psychological state, struggling with anxiety, fear and difficulty trusting others. Some have been receiving psychological rehabilitation for over a year.
"When we celebrate the return of one, two, ten children – it's actually just the beginning of a new chapter for them," Rozvadovska added.
Hundreds of children have been brought back, either independently, with volunteers, or through initiatives like Bring Kids Back. However, the number is still only a fraction of the whole.
"Many of these children were taken when they were infants or toddlers. They are growing up under systematic manipulation and propaganda. In Russian schools, they are completely cut off from Ukrainian identity. They are not allowed to contact Ukraine. They are being brainwashed," she explained.
Human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties and a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, noted that while Ukrainian authorities report the illegal deportation of about 19,000 children, the real number could be much higher.
The People First campaign was launched to keep the issue of child deportations and other Russian war crimes against Ukrainians in the global political spotlight.
Read also: Deportation as a weapon: the tragic fate of children from the Oleshky boarding school
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