Ukraine returns 8 children from Russian-occupied territories

Some eight Ukrainian children have been rescued from territories occupied by Russia, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office.

The return occure under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. As of November 2024, over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been illegally taken by Russia since February 2022. Less than 390 children have successfully returned home thus far.

The children, ranging from 6 to 16 years old, were returned from critically impacted oblasts including Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Donetsk Oblasts, and Crimea.

Seven children were facilitated through Qatar’s mediation efforts, while one was evacuated via a humanitarian corridor.

Each child’s story underscores the complex humanitarian challenges of the ongoing war. One particularly poignant case involves a young girl with neurological conditions who was living in Crimea, unable to access necessary medical treatment. Another child, a 12-year-old boy, had been in a children’s home after losing his mother, facing potential transfer to a Russian family and subjected to propaganda.

“The return of these children is a step towards restoring justice and hope,” Yermak said on Telegram, highlighting the initiative’s emotional and strategic significance.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Ombudsman, previously warned that approximately 1.5 million Ukrainian children in occupied territories face high risks of deportation to Russia.

Qatar continues to play a crucial diplomatic role, acting as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia in these delicate child repatriation efforts.

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