8 children and teenagers were rescued from occupation

Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 8 children and teenagers from russian occupation. This became possible thanks to the support of partners within the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

Among those rescued:

🔹 16-year-old Maksym, whose mother tried for years to protect him from the occupation-controlled education system and Russian propaganda. One day, a Russian drone tracked Maksym and his friends in the street and hovered directly above them — he narrowly managed to escape. To have a chance to leave the occupied territory, he was forced to obtain a Russian passport.

🔹 5-year-old Matvii, who grew up under constant threat. His grandfather was detained and held in a basement by Russian occupation forces simply for speaking Ukrainian. Civilian neighborhoods were repeatedly shelled, while Russian soldiers moved into homes left behind by residents.

🔹 19-year-old Vlad, who faced pressure from teachers because of his Ukrainian identity. At school, teenagers were forced to disassemble weapons, write letters to Russian soldiers, and collect supplies for them. Later, Russian soldiers encouraged students to sign contracts with the Russian army, while Vlad himself was forcibly placed on the military register.

For these children and 5 others, occupation is now behind them. They are currently undergoing reintegration at Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, and safe shelter.

Yet hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children remain under Russian control. The occupation authorities attempt to erase their Ukrainian identity and prepare teenagers for service in the Russian military.

We sincerely thank our partners Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, Humanity Funds, and the Joint Center for Search and Release for their support and cooperation.

We will continue our work until every Ukrainian child is returned home.