KYIV – Twenty-three Ukrainian children and teenagers were brought out of Russian-occupied areas to territory controlled by Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, on Oct 9. The rescue was part of the “Bring Kids Back UA” program that aims to return children deported to Russia or confined in occupied zones back to safety.
Among those rescued were two sisters who had refused to attend Russian schools under threats from Russia-installed authorities to take them away from their mother. A teenage boy also resisted enrollment in a Russian school, while another child and her mother were initially denied permission to leave because a relative served in the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine asserts that Russia has forcibly deported or displaced over 19,500 children to Russia and Belarus, violating the Geneva Conventions. Research by Yale’s School of Public Health suggests the actual figure could be closer to 35,000. Russia denies these allegations, claiming it acts to protect children from war hazards.
The rescued children are currently receiving medical and psychological support to help them reintegrate and rebuild their lives after enduring coercion and trauma under occupation. The operation highlights ongoing Ukrainian efforts to safeguard children’s rights and reunite families amid the conflict.