Key points
- Another 7 children have been returned from the occupied Kherson region.
- The group includes children aged between 3 and 17.
- The operation took place under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
- Cases of pressure and intimidation by the occupation authorities have been reported.
- The children are receiving psychological support.
- The Save Ukraine organisation took part in the operation.
Another seven children have been returned from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region to Ukrainian-controlled territory as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. This was announced by the Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin.
The group includes six boys and one girl aged between 3 and 17, as well as one adult who was formerly a child deprived of parental care.
– Oleksandr Prokudin.
According to Prokudin, all of them experienced pressure and intimidation from the occupation authorities.
In particular, an 11-year-old girl was forced at school to take part in military-style activities and faced bullying from teachers when she refused.
Continuous fear led to serious health issues.
– Oleksandr Prokudin.
A 17-year-old boy was also deceived and taken to a so-called “camp”, where he was forced to sing the Russian anthem and threatened with isolation if he refused. After returning, he had to hide from patrols searching for teenagers to issue conscription notices.
The rescue operation was carried out with the assistance of the charitable organisation “Save Ukraine”.
Currently, the children are staying in “Hope and Recovery” centres, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, accommodation, and the necessary conditions for recovery.
Read also:
More than 400 IDPs will be able to benefit from a preferential housing programme run by Derzhmolodzhytlo to purchase housing
