Yesterday at 22:06
As part of President Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back Ua initiative, five Ukrainian children were returned from temporarily occupied territories (TOT) and Russia, the Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, reported on Telegram, UATV English reports.
“Five Ukrainian children have returned from TOT and Russia — and each return is a small, yet significant, victory for Ukraine,” Lubinets said.
The successful repatriation was credited to the active efforts of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Save Ukraine organization. Lubinets also expressed gratitude to Melania Trump for her humanitarian support of Ukraine’s initiative to return children.
The children returned range in age from 4 to 15 years old. Among them:
- A seven-year-old boy who had been taken from the Kherson orphanage during the Russian occupation, now reunited with his mother.
- A four-year-old boy and six-year-old girl, also abducted from the Kherson orphanage, who spent four years separated from their mother.
- A nine-year-old boy whose mother died in Russia due to illness; he will now be reunited with his uncle.
Lubinets emphasized the emotional impact of these reunifications:
“These stories show that childhood, which should have been filled with warmth and stories, became a test of endurance. But now it’s not just about the pain. It’s about return. About first embraces after long years of separation.”
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, a total of 1,985 children have been returned to Ukraine.
The Ombudsman’s Office participates in all stages of the return process, from communicating with relatives to direct reunions at the border.
In a video shared on Telegram, one boy returned after nearly four years of separation joyfully exclaimed: “The flag looks good on me!”
This effort underscores ongoing Ukraine-led initiatives to reunite children abducted by Russia with their families, continuing until every Ukrainian child is safely home.
