Ukraine returns 6 children from occupied Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk regions, Crimea

Mykola Kuleba, a former Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and founder of the Save Ukraine Foundation, has announced this news on September 10. 

He credited the successful return to the collaborative efforts of Save Ukraine organization and Bring Kids Back UA programme.

Kuleba shared the story of 17-year-old Myroslav (name changed) from Pryazovia, who feared being forced into the Russian army, as other minors had been. Myroslav recounted how Russian forces took children from his school to old World War II monuments, where pro-Russian teachers falsely claimed that “the Soviet army defended people from the Nazis, and that's what the Russians are doing now.” To avoid this, Myroslav tried to skip Russian school and stayed home during classes.

Kuleba noted that escaping from the occupied area was challenging. At the border, FSB officers accused Myroslav of spying and claimed there was “chaos” in Ukraine but “peace” in Russia.

"Myroslav’s story shows why Ukraine remains committed to rescuing children from temporary occupation - to prevent the aggressor from turning them into soldiers fighting against their own people,” Kuleba stated.

• On August 3, eight more Ukrainian children were returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine from the occupied part of the Kherson region.