Ukraine Returns Five More Children from TOT, Russia

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, announced this on Telegram, as reported by Ukrinform.

“Among those rescued is a 10-year-old boy who lived under occupation with his sick grandmother. When the war began, his mother was in another city. Despite many risky attempts to return her son on her own, she failed. Now the family has been reunited and is safe in Ukraine,” Yermak noted.

He stressed that the return was made possible thanks to the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA with the support of the Commissioner’s Office.

Yermak expressed gratitude to Qatar for mediating in the process of returning the children.

As Dmitry Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, noted in Telegram, the children's ages range from 11 to 16. They were returned from the occupied territories of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions.

Among the children who have returned is a 12-year-old girl whose parents are divorced. Her father is held captive by Russia. During three years of full-scale war, she was relocated twice, experienced conflicts with her mother, and faced serious deterioration in both her mental and physical health.

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Thanks to the Commissioner's office, her grandmother was granted guardianship, and now the girl will receive comprehensive care.

Another child, a boy who lived with his father, was subjected to systematic violence. Despite the physical abuse, local “social services” did not intervene. “His mother tried unsuccessfully to save him on her own. Only after contacting the commissioner's office and with the help of Qatar was the boy reunited with his mother,” Lubinets noted.

He added that the staff of the Commissioner’s Office constantly interact with families and provide assistance in preparing the documents necessary for the return of children.

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As reported by Ukrinform, to date Ukraine has managed to repatriate 1,247 children illegally deported to Russia.