Twenty-three Ukrainian children and teenagers have been brought back from Russian-occupied areas to territory under Kyiv’s control, according to President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
This rescue operation was part of the “Bring Kids Back UA” program, which aims to return children deported to Russia or confined in occupied areas.
Among those returned are two sisters who resisted a demand to attend Russian schools, facing threats of separation from their mother.
Ukraine claims that over 19,500 children have been illegally deported by Russia, with research suggesting the number may be around 35,000. Russia denies these claims.
