Latest news with #BringKidsBackUA
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak's advisor says
Eleven more Ukrainian children have been successfully returned from Russian-occupied territories as part of the national "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, Daria Zarivna, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff and head of the project, said on May 28. Among those rescued is a young girl whose mother and brother, both defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, spent more than three years in Russian captivity. "All this time, the mother did not know whether she would ever see her children again. During the exchange, she met her son on the bus, and today she was finally able to hug her little girl," Zarivna said. Another boy was reunited with his father and brother, both Ukrainian soldiers. The father has been serving on the front lines, while the brother had also been held in Russian captivity for over three years. Zarivna also said a teenage boy who had been orphaned was rescued from Russian forces. The child had been kidnapped from his school, held in a basement, tortured, and nearly conscripted into the Russian army days before his 18th birthday. The operation is the latest in a series of rescue missions under Bring Kids Back UA, a national initiative launched by Zelensky to coordinate the return of children abducted during Russia's full-scale invasion. On May 22, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak announced the return of nine other children from occupied areas. He described the children as survivors of grave abuse, including a girl whose life was endangered due to lack of medical care, and a boy who was imprisoned in a basement with his mother while Russian forces tortured his father nearby. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who were forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or Russian-occupied territories. To date, only around 1,300 have been returned to Ukrainian-controlled areas, according to official data. The abduction of Ukrainian children has drawn international condemnation. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of overseeing the forced deportations. Earlier this month, the European Parliament passed a resolution labeling Russia's actions a "genocidal strategy" aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, and demanded the unconditional return of all abducted minors. On May 21, U.S. senators have introduced a resolution urging that no peace deal with Russia be made until all abducted Ukrainian children are returned. The resolution condemns Russia's forced deportation and Russification of Ukrainian minors as an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity. Kyiv has maintained that the safe return of its children remains a central precondition for any future peace negotiations with Russia. Read also: Because of Russia, my child understood fear early We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
"Didn't step outside for nearly three years": Nine children brought back from Russian-occupied territories
Ukraine has brought back nine more children from territories temporarily occupied by Russia. Their families have endured severe hardship. Source: Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine Details: Among those rescued were sisters Ilona and Tamila (names changed for safety reasons). For nearly three years, the girls did not leave their home or speak with other children, as their school and kindergarten were destroyed within the first six months of the full-scale invasion. Their childhood was overshadowed by constant bombardments, the movement of armoured vehicles and encounters with drunk Russian soldiers roaming the streets. Seventeen-year-old Yevheniia nearly died due to the lack of proper medical care in the occupied territories – ambulances no longer responded to calls, and hospitals lacked diagnostic equipment. "As a result, she was only correctly diagnosed during an emergency surgery. It is unclear whether she would have survived if she had made it to the operating table just a few hours later," the team involved in the children's return said. Ten-year-old Artem and his mother were locked in a basement by Russian soldiers in the middle of the night while his father was beaten in another room – all because he had tried to protect his wife from abuse by a soldier. "Since that incident, the boy often cried and couldn't sleep at night. He was forced to wear a Russian military cap at school, sing the Russian anthem and shout 'Glory to Russia', and the police were called when he said 'Glory to Ukraine'," the Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine teams noted. Fifteen-year-old Khrystyna ended up in complete information isolation and was unable to continue her education. She could not attend online classes at her Ukrainian school because the Russians jammed communication signals, and her mother refused to send her to a Russian school. Background: Earlier, Ukraine had also managed to bring back a 15-year-old boy from Russian occupation who had long dreamed of reuniting with his father. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
9 Ukrainian children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, President's Office says
Ukraine has brought nine more children from Russian-occupied territories to Ukrainian-controlled areas, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said on May 22. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who have been forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories. So far, only around 1,300 of them have been safely brought to Ukrainian government-controlled territory. Among the rescued children is a girl whose life was in danger due to the lack of adequate medical care in the occupied territories, and a boy who, along with his mother, was locked in a basement by Russian forces while his father was tortured in a nearby room, Yermak said. Others include two sisters who didn't leave their home for nearly three years because of constant shelling and the presence of Russian tanks, and a teenage girl who was cut off from online schooling due to communication blockades imposed by Russian forces. "These children lived through horrors," Yermak said in a statement. "We are fulfilling the president's task: to bring all children back home." The rescue mission was conducted as part of Bring Kids Back UA, a national initiative spearheaded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and coordinated by his office to return deported children to their families and communities. Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories are placed in families or Russian camps, where they are known to be subjected to intense anti-Ukrainian propaganda, and at times, military training. Kyiv has repeatedly stated that returning all these children is a key condition for any future peace agreement with Russia. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has also taken up the matter. In March 2023, it issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over their involvement in abductions. On May 8, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Russia's forcible deportation and Russification of Ukrainian children, calling it a "genocidal strategy" aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and demanding the unconditional return of all abducted minors. Read also: As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian boy, 15, reunited with his dad after being brought back from Russian-occupied territory
A 15-year-old boy has been brought back to Ukraine from Russian-occupied territory and reunited with his father after three years apart. Source: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Details: The boy's return was made possible thanks to the involvement of Qatar as a mediator. The Bring Kids Back UA initiative reported that the boy's mother had died in early 2022 and he had remained in the care of his aunt, grandfather and grandmother, while his father was in Ukrainian-controlled territory. Although he was well cared for by his relatives, the teenager longed to reunite with his father. However, the family was unable to arrange this on their own. Throughout this time, the father stayed in contact with his son, supported his late wife's family and looked for ways to bring the boy home. Achieving this without outside support was well-nigh impossible, so the father contacted the Office of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights. A safe evacuation route was arranged through joint efforts and mediation from Qatar. "Today, the boy is finally back with his father after a long separation, uncertainty, and living under occupation," Bring Kids Back UA said. "We continue to fight to ensure that every Ukrainian child reunites with their family." Background: Earlier, Ukraine brought back six children from Russian-occupied territories, including a brother and sister from a family that had previously tried to leave without success, and a girl who had been at risk of being taken away from her mother by the Russian authorities. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ukraine brings back six children from Russian occupation
Ukraine has brought back six children from territories temporarily occupied by Russia. Among them are a brother and sister from a family that had previously tried to leave without success, as well as a girl whom the Russians had threatened to take from her mother. Source: Bring Kids Back UA initiative on Facebook Details: The initiative shared the stories of several children, including Mariia and her mother, who faced ongoing pressure from local Russian "administration" after the death of Mariia's father. "The family was forced to obtain Russian documents because they could not solve even basic everyday issues without them. The mother was also threatened that Mariia would be taken away if the girl did not attend a Russian school," Bring Kids Back stated. Eventually, the situation became so critical that the family had to seek help with evacuation. Also rescued were siblings Pavlo and Anna. The younger child had health problems but could not access the necessary medical care. The family had tried several times to leave the occupied territory on their own, but it was virtually impossible without Russian documents. "All the children and their families are now safe in Ukrainian-controlled territory. They are receiving assistance with rehabilitation and adapting to their new lives," the initiative concluded. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
