Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 12 Ukrainian children and teenagers from occupation. This mission was made possible thanks to the support of Wladimir Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel from WeAreAllUkrainians, the Humanity Foundation, and the Joint Coordination Center for Search and Release. These children endured threats, pressure, and attempts at forced “re-education.” Today, they are finally safe.

Among those rescued:

🔹 12-year-old Daryna, who for nearly four years rarely went outside because she refused to attend a Russian school. Throughout this time, she secretly studied online under the Ukrainian curriculum, knowing that at any moment occupation authorities could come to her home and check her phone.

🔹 12-year-old Yehor, who has lived with epilepsy since early childhood and requires regular medical treatment. After his hometown was occupied, access to healthcare disappeared: the hospital was closed and looted, and Russian medications failed to relieve his condition.

🔹 4-year-old Emilia, who was only a few months old when the full-scale invasion began. For years, she was denied even the most basic childhood experiences, such as safe outdoor walks, as her family was forced to hide. She never attended kindergarten either—the nearest one was in another village, and her parents refused to obtain Russian documents for their daughter.

🔹 19-year-old Veronika, who in high school was forced to study under Russian educational standards saturated with propaganda. She was repeatedly pressured to attend a so-called “summer camp” in Crimea. Although she refused to go herself, the occupation authorities sent her younger sister instead—and did not return her. Their mother had to travel personally to rescue her younger daughter from the so-called camp.

All rescued children are now staying at Save Ukraine’s Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, safe housing, and compassionate care—everything needed to restore a sense of security and begin dreaming again. Thanks to Save Ukraine, more than 1,000 children have already been brought back from occupation. But thousands are still waiting for their path home.