Bring Kids Back UA

🗣️ «These children have been subjected to a systematic process of erasure of their Ukrainian national identity.» In an interview with The Times, Daria Zarivna spoke about Russia’s deliberate policy of abducting and militarizing Ukrainian children — and why their return must be at the heart of any peace process. Read the full article via the link: https://lnkd.in/e_t9XDTC #BringKidsBack

In an interview with The Sun, Daria Zarivna and Mariana Betsa spoke about Russia’s systematic use of Ukrainian children as tools of war — and why their return must be a core condition of any peace. Their message is clear: no peace without justice, no justice without the return of our children. Read the full article via the link: https://lnkd.in/gYxbh_u5 #BringKidsBack

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s women’s tennis team has secured a historic victory qualifying for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China, after defeating Switzerland. This win is more than just a sporting achievement. The team dedicated their success to Ukraine’s defenders and to the thousands of children who remain illegally deported to Russia, far from their families and homeland. As Easter approaches, their message is clear: we play and win because of our heroes, and we remember every child still waiting to come home. Thank you to our incredible athletes for your strength, solidarity, and voice. We wish you continued success in the finals! #BringKidsBack #BJKCup

Two more teenagers have been rescued from occupation and Russian territory as part of the President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative and thanks to the efforts of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network team. 🔹 The hometown of 17-year-old Oksana was occupied by the Russian army back in 2014. As a child, she and her mother were forcibly taken to Russia, where she faced constant humiliation for her Ukrainian origin. At school, she was not only bullied but physically assaulted multiple times. Despite daily pressure and violence, Oksana never gave up on her dream of returning to Ukraine. She made several attempts to get back on her own, and during the last one, she went four days without food. Eventually, Oksana turned to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network for help. The team developed a safe route and helped her gather all the necessary documents. Today, she is back in Ukraine and plans to enter university. 🔹 18-year-old Andrii lived with his mother and sister in a temporarily occupied area. Alongside constant psychological pressure, he also faced the real threat of being forcibly conscripted into the Russian army. Russian soldiers monitored his house and followed him. The fear of being forced to fight against his own country became his greatest concern and motivation to escape. Andrii tried to flee several times but without success. His sister, who had earlier managed to leave the occupied territory, advised him to reach out to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network. This time, the effort succeeded: the team created a safe route and helped him cross the border. Now Andrii is safe on Ukrainian-controlled territory, reunited with his sister. Children and youth are the future of Ukraine, and we will never stop fighting for our future. Names have been changed for security reasons. The Ukrainian Child Rights Network (UCRN), in partnership with SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit Hermann-Gmeiner-Fonds Deutschland e.V., is implementing a project to support and return deported children and youth: “The Way Home: A New Route.”

A four-year-old girl has been rescued from occupied territory. The rescue mission was carried out as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and with the support of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network. Marichka is only 4 years old. Her entire life has been lived in war — without peace or safety. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, she was just one year old. She remained with her grandmother in a city that quickly fell under occupation. Constant shelling, frequent lack of water and electricity, and the threat of deportation by the occupation authorities — in such conditions, childhood becomes a fight for survival. Her grandmother did everything she could to protect her, but she knew it was becoming harder to manage alone. She longed to reunite Marichka with her father, who remained in Ukrainian-controlled territory. The father tried many times to arrange the evacuation of his daughter on his own. He explored different options, but every attempt failed. Finally, he turned to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, which developed a safe route and helped organize the girl’s return. Today, Marichka is finally home, safe with her father. We will not stop fighting until every Ukrainian child is brought home. No exceptions. No conditions. *Names have been changed for security reasons. #BringKidsBack

Russia is turning a former children's camp in occupied Mariupol into a military training center for kids. On the shores of the Azov Sea, where Ukrainian children once spent summers at camp "Orlyatko," Russia is now building a new branch of the "Warrior" center. Here, Ukrainian children will be taught to shoot, parachute, use explosives, pilot drones, and more — all to prepare them for service in the Russian military. This is already the fourth such center on temporarily occupied Ukrainian land. The goal is clear: to erase Ukrainian identity and raise a new generation of soldiers loyal to Russia. Children should be playing, learning, and growing in peace — not being trained for war. #BringKidsBack

🇺🇦11 children have been returned from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and territory of Russia! Welcome home to free land! Following appeals from citizens to the Ombudsman’s Office and as part of reintegration measures, we facilitated the return of 9 children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and 2 more from the territory of Russia. The return was carried out as part of the implementation of the Bring Kids Back UA action plan approved by the President of Ukraine. ℹ️The Ombudsman’s Office, in cooperation with international partners and partner organizations, took the necessary measures to reunite the children with their families, including support with organizational and legal issues. The children are aged between 2 and 17. While living in the temporarily occupied territories, the families were under constant pressure from the occupation regime due to their pro-Ukrainian stance, facing persecution, intimidation, and deprivation of basic rights, which posed serious risks to their children. ☝️Among those returned from occupation is a pregnant woman with a small child. The occupying authorities systematically intimidated the family and denied medical assistance due to the lack of Russian documents. After returning to the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine, the woman finally received all necessary medical care. Just a few days after returning, she gave birth to a baby girl. Congratulations and best wishes for good health to both mother and newborn! We also brought back an 11-year-old boy whose father had been held in Russian captivity. The boy, along with his mother, remained in the temporarily occupied territory throughout this time. They had to be extremely cautious to avoid any attention from the occupying authorities. After the man was released from captivity, the woman reached out to the Ombudsman’s Office, seeking assistance in leaving the occupied territory. As a result, the family is now on the territory controlled by Ukraine and will soon be reunited. 🤝A heartfelt thanks to our international partners and partner organizations for their help and support! It is incredibly valuable that the children can grow up in a free Ukraine. We continue to work to ensure that all children can return home! Bring Kids Back UA Карітас України Charitable Foundation «Rokada»

As part of the President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, two young Ukrainians — a boy with a disability and a 19-year-old girl — were rescued from occupation. The rescue mission was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network in cooperation with the volunteer initiative Humanity. 19-year-old Maryna lived in a village with her mother. The family had worked the land their whole lives, growing vegetables. Due to the occupation, they lost their farm and their means of survival. Without money for the journey, Maryna and her mother couldn’t leave on their own. In such conditions, a young girl couldn’t build a life, plan for the future, or feel safe. 23-year-old Dmytro has had a hearing impairment since birth. When his hometown came under Russian occupation in February 2022, his life was in constant danger. His father began searching for a way to evacuate the family to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our partners, the necessary documents were prepared, and a safe route was organized for these young people and their parents. Children and youth are the future of our country. We will fight for that future — and we won’t stop until all Ukrainian children and young people are safe. #BringKidsBack

In late March, 39 more Ukrainian children were taken from occupied Luhansk to a Russian state-run facility near Moscow under the pretext of “medical treatment,” according to a new Institute for the Study of War report. They were sent over 700 km away from their homes to a sanatorium run by a Russian federal agency — with no guarantees of return. This facility has already received over 1,200 deported Ukrainians since 2022. In occupied Crimea, Russian military intelligence veterans launched a new “patriotic education” club for children aged 7 to 17. The program uses Soviet and Russian special forces training methods — teaching kids to identify and report “pro-Ukrainian sentiment,” and preparing them for eventual Russian military service. This is a direct violation of international law. These are not acts of help. They are acts of coercion. They are part of a system of Russification and ethnic erasure. #BringKidsBack

A family of a Ukrainian serviceman has been rescued from occupation. This rescue mission took place as part of the President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative and thanks to the efforts of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network. 10-year-old Emilia has finally hugged her father again. They hadn’t seen each other in three years. After the full-scale invasion began, he went to defend Ukraine, while their hometown fell under occupation. Together with her mother, Emilia tried to leave multiple times, but was denied each time. Russian soldiers checked databases and discovered her father served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From that moment, any attempt to cross the border became too dangerous. The family searched for ways to evacuate, but all attempts failed. They lived in constant fear for their lives. Eventually, Emilia’s father reached out to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, who helped find a safe route. The journey home required time, caution, and immense effort. Today, the family is finally reunited. Ahead lies a challenging path of recovery and adjustment, but they won’t go through it alone — they’ll receive support from psychologists and social workers. *Name has been changed for security reasons. #BringKidsBack