Key facts
- Save Ukraine founder Mykola Kuleba announced the return of 13 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories.
- The operation was carried out with partners under President Volodymyr Zelensky's Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
- Kuleba said the children endured threats, psychological pressure, and life-threatening conditions under occupation.
- Save Ukraine said it has helped rescue more than 1,800 children from Russia and occupied territories.
- More than 582,000 Ukrainian children studied in nearly 2,000 schools under Russian standards in 2025–2026.
- Ukraine's Justice Ministry confirmed 20,610 cases of deportation and forced transfer as of September.
Ukraine has returned 13 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories over the past week, Mykola Kuleba, founder of the humanitarian organization Save Ukraine, announced on Nov. 6. The operation was carried out with the support of partners under President Volodymyr Zelensky's Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
Kuleba said the children had endured threats, psychological pressure, and life-threatening conditions under Russian occupation. "We will not stop as long as thousands of Ukrainian children remain trapped in a hostile system that seeks to break them every day," he said.
Among those brought back was 13-year-old Andrii, who lived in a town where Russian combat drones targeted civilians, according to Kuleba. Russian occupation authorities threatened to strip his parents of custody unless he attended a Russian-run school, where he was subjected to propaganda, forced to draw Russian soldiers, and required to take ideological tests.
Russian troops also seized the home of another returned teenager, 18-year-old Luka, Kuleba said. He was forced to attend a school under Russian occupation, where teenagers were recruited into the Russian military. After turning 18, Luka received a military draft notice despite having serious health problems.
Thirteen-year-old Nina was also among those returned. Her parents faced threats of violence for refusing to send her to a Russian-controlled school, where students were forced to sing the Russian national anthem daily and wear St. George ribbons, a symbol associated with Russian military patriotism.
The children are now receiving psychological support, rehabilitation, and assistance with restoring their documents at Save Ukraine's Hope and Recovery centers, Kuleba said. Save Ukraine has helped rescue more than 1,800 children from Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, according to the organization.
More than 582,000 Ukrainian children were studying in nearly 2,000 schools operating under Russian educational standards in occupied territories during the 2025–2026 academic year. As of September, Ukraine's Justice Ministry had officially confirmed 20,610 cases of deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.