Ukraine has successfully rescued 23 children and adolescents from Russian-occupied regions, returning them safely to Ukrainian-controlled territory, according to Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff. The operation was conducted as part of the “Bring Kids Back UA” program — a national initiative designed to reunite children deported to Russia or trapped in occupied areas with their families and homeland.
Yermak, in a post on Telegram, revealed that the group included two sisters who bravely resisted Russian-installed authorities’ demands to attend schools under Moscow’s control. These officials reportedly threatened to remove the girls from their mother’s custody. Similarly, another teenage boy refused to enroll in a Russian school, while one child and her mother had earlier been denied permission to leave the occupied zone because a relative was serving in the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine continues to accuse Russia of violating international humanitarian law, asserting that over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been illegally deported or forcibly displaced to Russia and Belarus — a clear breach of the Geneva Conventions. However, research supported by the U.S. government and conducted by Yale University’s School of Public Health in September suggests that the real figure may be closer to 35,000 children affected by these actions.
Moscow has denied allegations of deportation, claiming that its efforts were aimed at protecting children from the dangers of ongoing warfare. Nonetheless, Kyiv and international human rights organizations argue that these forced transfers represent a grave violation of human rights and a war crime under international law.
The “Bring Kids Back UA” program remains one of Ukraine’s most vital humanitarian missions, symbolizing both resilience and the ongoing struggle to reclaim the nation’s future generation amid the devastation of war.