Ukraine returns one more family with children from Russian-occupied Kherson region

A family with two children – a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl – was taken out of the temporarily captured city of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region. The parents, fearing for their safety, kept their children confined to the yard of their home.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reports this.

He said that the family decided to leave their home after the "presidential elections" were held in the parts of Ukraine that were under occupation. These elections were conducted under force and bombardment.

Next, the Ukrainians were informed by their neighbor, who was collaborating with authorities, that the "new government" would deprive children who do not attend Russian schools of parental care.

^{Photo: Facebook / Dmytro Lubinets}

"As the son continued to get a Ukrainian education, and the daughter went to the 1st grade at a Ukrainian school, the parents tried to leave as soon as possible. It was difficult due to a lack of funds because the children's father did not, in principle, get a job with the occupiers but earned money by helping the city's residents," the ombudsman writes.

He added that the family suffered from the explosion by the occupiers of Kakhovka HPP on June 6, 2023.

Also, the Russian military came to the residence of the Ukrainians three times with searches.

^{Photo: Facebook / Dmytro Lubinets}

"The city's residents have a pro-Ukrainian position, and the teenagers have the courage even to voice it. To intimidate them, the Russians took them out into the field and shot near their heads," the ombudsman writes.

The family is currently in Ukraine.

Dmytro Lubinets also mentioned that children are getting ready for school while parents, with assistance from government organizations, are laying the groundwork for a fresh start.

For reference:

Rubryka reported that Ukraine and Canada launched the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, almost 1,831 children have been impacted, with 542 minors losing their lives and over 1,289 children sustaining various degrees of injury.

According to the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, the deportation of more than 19,500 Ukrainian children has been officially confirmed.