Ukraine brings back 17 more children, teenagers from territories temporarily occupied by Russia
Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, announced this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
Yermak said that a 17-year-old boy was taken in the middle of the night by Russian soldiers for hours of interrogation at gunpoint — without his parents or any legal representatives present. He was threatened and intimidated because of his pro-Ukrainian stance.
A 16-year-old girl was threatened with being taken away from her mother for refusing Russian documents and rejecting the occupiers' school program.
A 15-year-old boy and his 13-year-old sister miraculously survived a cluster munitions strike. Later, the occupation authorities forced their family to choose: either the children attend a Russian school, or the entire family must abandon their home.
"Today, all of these children are safe: they are receiving psychological support and can begin a new life in free Ukraine," Yermak said.
He thanked the team of the Save Ukraine charity organization and all partners for their help in rescuing the children.
On September 23, during a meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that thanks to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 1,625 Ukrainian children have already been returned. This year, Ukraine will present a UN resolution condemning Russia's abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.
Photo: Andriy Yermak / Telegram
