Jean Reno publishes thriller novel Escape about Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children

The legendary French actor authored a crime-thriller-style novel titled Escape, focusing on the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia.

In an interview with Télé 7, he explained what motivated him to write on this topic, as reported by Ukrinform.

"It's simply current events. When I heard about this story [about more than 19,540 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, identified in 2024 by several non-governmental organizations], I was extremely shocked. I thought it was madness that these children were being abducted for brainwashing. I am not making a political statement; I wanted to turn it into a novel," Reno said.

For the French actor, this is already his second novel.

According to the description of the 330-page thriller, released on April 9, the main character of Escape is Emma, a former massage therapist who begins working for the French external intelligence agency Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE).

"Embarking on a dangerous mission, Emma goes undercover to get close to a Russian agent. The goal is to trace the lives of thousands of young people deported to new Gulags. Courageous Emma prepares to challenge the 'Russian bear' on its own territory. In this race, Emma will have to follow her instincts. But in the heart of Siberia, it is impossible to survive without leaving a part of yourself behind," the description says.

As reported, as of March 25, 2026, 2,058 children abducted by Russia have been successfully returned to Ukraine.