Key facts
- Ukraine has successfully repatriated 42 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories in recent weeks.
- The children were returned through the humanitarian efforts of Save Ukraine and its partners.
- The operation is part of Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
- Some children faced threats and forced military registration under Russian occupation.
- Ukraine estimates that up to 300,000 children have been abducted by Russia since February 2022.
Ukraine has successfully repatriated 42 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories in recent weeks, according to statements from the Ukrainian humanitarian NGO Save Ukraine on June 23 and June 15. These efforts are part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, aimed at returning children forcibly taken to Russia or Russian-controlled areas.
Among the rescued children were a 13-year-old girl named Sofia, who hid to avoid attending a Russian-controlled school and faced threats of institutionalization, and a 17-year-old named Dmytro, who, despite serious heart problems, was allegedly forced to register for military service in the Russian army. The organization reported that Russian soldiers in Ukrainian uniforms had also terrified children with threats of execution in schools.
Ukrainian officials estimate that at least 20,000 children have been abducted since February 2022, with some sources suggesting the number could be as high as 300,000. Approximately 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian occupation. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova in connection with state-sanctioned child abductions.