A young man who had been forced to register for military service was returned from the occupied Kherson region

Another 14 children have been returned from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region to territory controlled by Ukraine. Among them is a 16-year-old boy whom Russian invaders had forced to register for military service.

According to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, four boys and 10 girls aged 6 to 17 were successfully returned. One adult who had previously been a child deprived of parental care was also returned.

All of them endured difficult trials while under pressure from the occupying regime.

“Among them is a 16-year-old boy whom Russian invaders forced to register for military service,” the official’s post states.

A 17-year-old girl who sought to pursue a Ukrainian education despite the risks and enemy surveillance.

And a 10-year-old girl who dreamed of returning home and did everything she could to get to safety.

The children were rescued as part of the presidential initiative “Bring Kids Back UA” and thanks to cooperation with the charity “Save Ukraine.”

All the children and their families are now safe and receiving the necessary assistance.

In total, since the beginning of the year, 204 children have been successfully returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory from the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region.

Just recently, the U.S. approved a $12 million program to assist Ukrainian children who have been returned from Russia and the occupied territories. The funds will be used for their rehabilitation and reintegration into normal life.

As Intent previously reported, the Back to Ukraine team identified the first case in which a child from the Kherson region who had gone missing joined the ranks of the Russian army and is now fighting against Ukraine. 

Ірина Глухова