Four more children from Kherson region have returned to Ukraine: among them is a boy who was forcibly conscripted by Russian occupiers into the Russian Armed Forces
While Russian troops continue to deliberately destroy Ukrainian cities, including water supplies, energy infrastructure, and other facilities in Kherson region, Ukrainian services work around the clock to save lives and restore justice for those whom the enemy tries to deport or destroy. Recently, four more children have been evacuated from the temporarily occupied territories of the region. This is yet another proof of Russia’s tactic of systematic kidnapping and disfiguring Ukrainian national identity, as well as attempts to split and destabilize Ukrainian society. According to official data released by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, on his Telegram channel, three teenagers and a girl aged from 10 to 17 have been rescued. All of them are currently in safe conditions on Ukrainian-controlled territory, where they are receiving necessary medical aid, psychological support, and rehabilitation services. Particularly striking is the fate of one rescued boy. He was forcibly taken and deceived into the military enlistment office of the occupiers. There, his details were entered into the database of Russian conscripts, and the plan was to develop a military career for himself and return him to the Russian army. This is yet another indication of the brutal policy of Russian occupiers towards adolescents in the occupied territories, constantly driven by mobilization and propaganda rhetoric. Since the beginning of 2023, 39 children have returned home from the temporarily occupied Kherson districts, having managed to escape Russian captivity, theft, and forced conscription. This is an important step toward restoring peace and social justice, as well as a confirmation of the Ukrainian government’s firm stance in fighting for the return of its citizens. Overall, a few weeks ago, on April 26, Ukrainian services managed to free another 12 children from Russian occupation. They returned home to their native land, receiving help and support. Prior to that, on April 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky handed over a list of over 400 Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russians from the temporarily occupied territories to South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa. This initiative became part of a broader diplomatic campaign aimed at raising international awareness of the scale of Russian occupiers’ crimes and increasing pressure on Moscow to return kidnapped Ukrainian citizens. Today, Ukraine insists on the comprehensive support of the international community in the effort to return its children and is actively working to locate and free kidnapped and deported Ukrainians. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to restore territorial integrity and, most importantly, to bring Ukrainians home where they will find love, support, and justice.