Ukraine repatriates five more children from occupied territories and Russia

As part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, five more Ukrainian children and their families were returned to the territory under Ukrainian control.

The head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, reported that on Telegram.

As the official noted, among the returned are three Ukrainians who have just become adults.

"Two of them were in Russia for a long time, where they were subjected to psychological pressure, and the third young man, deprived of family support, finally left the temporarily occupied territory," Yermak informed.

The head of the Office of the President added that a significant achievement was also the liberation of a family of four, in which children aged 11 and 14 were the target of persecution due to the family's pro-Ukrainian position, as well as assistance to a 77-year-old woman who was unable to evacuate on her own.

Yermak highlighted that the accounts of these Ukrainians serve as proof of the terror and fear imposed upon people living under occupation.

"The coordination of actions of state bodies and institutions of Ukraine, as well as the active support of volunteers, public organizations, and international partners, made it possible to achieve this result – Ukrainians who have survived difficult trials are finally home. I am grateful to the teams of the Office [of the President – ed.], the Ombudsman's Office, and all those involved who made this return possible," he wrote.

Summing up his post, Yermak emphasized that all Ukrainian children must be returned home to Ukraine without exceptions and under any conditions.

It should be noted, as the Ombudsman urged, that in the event of a child's disappearance, the National Police should be notified by calling 102. If the child has been deported to the Russian Federation or is in a temporarily occupied territory, in addition to the police, the Ombudsman's Office should also be notified:

• hotline 0 800 50 17 20 – within Ukraine,
• 044 299 74 08 – for calls from abroad,
• e-mail address – hotline@ombudsman.gov.ua.

It is worth adding that the work of the International Expert Group Bring Kids Back UA plays a vital role in determining the priorities and areas of activity of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, formed in early December 2023, the founding meeting of which was held in Kyiv.

For reference:

Since the start of full-scale aggression, the Russian military forces have been taking Ukrainian children to Russia and territories under their control. Ukrainian activists created a map of camps where children are being sent to after abductions.

As reported, Russian occupiers are intensifying the forced imposition of Russian aggressive ideology on the occupied territories of Ukraine.

The national resistance also reported that Russian occupiers detained children to pressure their parents.

As of August 2024, 19,546 deported and forcibly displaced children have been identified. The study "(Non)return of children: Ukraine facing the biggest challenge since independence" is an analysis of what happens to deported children in Russia, how they are returned, and what algorithms the state should develop.

Representatives of Canada proposed creating a coalition of countries to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children deported by the aggressor country.

Japan joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

Also, the United States of America officially became a member state of the coalition, which advocates for the safe return to Ukraine of children illegally deported and displaced by the Russian Federation during the war.

It should be added that the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children already includes 37 countries, and recently, Argentina also joined it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an issue ordering abducted Ukrainian children to obtain Russian citizenship forcibly. The Ombudsman's Office believes citizenship will be granted so young Ukrainians "do not legally remain in Russia."