Ukraine returns another group of children from Russian-occupied Kherson region

Another group of children has been successfully returned from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

According to Ukrinform, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, announced this on Facebook.

"As part of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA, we managed to return another group of children from the temporarily occupied Kherson region to Ukrainian-controlled territory. These are six boys and one girl aged between 3 and 17, as well as one adult from among children deprived of parental care," the statement said.

Each of them endured pressure and intimidation from the occupation authorities.

In particular, an 11-year-old girl was forced at school to take part in military-related activities. When she refused, she faced bullying from teachers. Constant fear led to serious health issues.

A 17-year-old boy was deceived and taken to a so-called "camp," where he was forced to sing the Russian anthem. When he refused, he was threatened with isolation. After returning home, he had to hide from patrols searching for teenagers to serve draft notices.

They are now finally safe.

Prokudin said the rescue operation was carried out with the support of the charity organization Save Ukraine. The children are currently staying in "Hope and Recovery" centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, housing, and care – everything needed to recover and regain a sense of safety.

Photo credit: Bring Kids Back UA