Seven Ukrainian children who witnessed Russians abusing their parents and abducting relatives are brought back from Russian occupation
Seven Ukrainian children, aged five to sixteen, have been rescued from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and Russia.
Source: Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine initiatives
Details: The Save Ukraine non-governmental organisation shared the stories of the rescued children, whose names have been changed for security reasons.
Among them is Stanislav, 16, who openly expressed his pro-Ukrainian stance – removing Russian flags in his city and filling in Russian trenches.
Eleven-year-old Nastia was also brought back to Ukraine after witnessing Russian soldiers abusing her parents.
Quote: "That night, the girl woke up to noise in the next room. Four drunk Russian soldiers stormed into their house, forced her mother and father to kneel and put guns to their heads. This was their form of 'entertainment'."
Details: Albina, 5, was born under occupation and spent her early years there. Throughout this time, her mother searched for ways to escape to Ukrainian-controlled territory, fearing that her daughter might inadvertently reveal her pro-Ukrainian views.
Quote: "Now, the mother is happy that her daughter will attend a Ukrainian school and grow up in a free country."
More details: Erik, 16, and Alla, 10, also managed to leave Russian-occupied territory. Their sister had been abducted by the Russians while attempting to flee the occupied city. She was held in a basement for several days, while her mother was forced to record a video thanking the occupiers for "saving" her daughter.
Read more: Putin's path to The Hague through "filtration" and "rehabilitation": how Russia is abducting Ukrainian сhildren
Seven-year-old Olesia endured bombings, occupation, an escape through Russia and a ban on coming back home. Her mother underwent multiple interrogations and psychological pressure from Russian forces. The family is now safe in Ukraine.
Background: In August 2022, a Russian court ruled to abduct two children from a Kherson orphanage. As a result, Ukraine will prosecute in absentia a Russian Federal Assembly deputy and the wife of the leader of the Just Russia political party, who were involved in the abduction.
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