Russians prepare to abduct nearly 10,000 Ukrainian children from occupied Zaporizhzhia region – Ukraine’s military administration

Russian forces are preparing the mass "evacuation" of children from the occupied Zaporizhzhia region to Crimea or Russia in rehabilitation camps.

Yurii Malashko, head of the region's military administration, says this in an interview with RBK-Ukraine informational agency.

The evacuation goes on little by little. I know that about 2-3 school buses with children move from time to time, he said.

Two-three weeks ago, the Russians launched the departure of children allegedly for "rehabilitation" to the occupied Crimea or Russia.

We have very rough estimates: according to our calculations, about 10,000 children can be taken out in this way, Malashko added.

At the same time, at least 600-700 thousand people live in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region.

At the beginning of the war, our total population was approximately 1 million 200 thousand citizens, added the head of the administration.

On June 1, Ukraine started implementing the evacuation of children in seven settlements of the Donetsk region. Authorities aim to rescue more than 230 children accompanied by one of their parents or a legal representative.

Evacuated children will be provided with free shelter, social guarantees, humanitarian aid, and psychological support.

Since the beginning of April 2023, Ukraine decided to forcibly evacuate children from 21 settlements in the Donetsk region, where the security situation remains critical.

There are 5 White Angels police evacuation crews working in the Donetsk region, which ensure the safe evacuation of children in armored vehicles.

However, despite the authorities' efforts to save children's lives and take them to safe regions of Ukraine, some parents still refuse to leave their homes and even hide their kids.