Last week, the Save Ukraine team successfully rescued 15 Ukrainian children, including two orphans, the temporarily occupied territories, thanks to the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA.

Among those rescued is the Danilovych family. The mother of five, Angela, was labeled an “emigrant” by the Russian authorities because, after nearly three years of occupation, she refused to obtain a Russian passport. They warned that if she didn’t send her sons—Dmytro, Ivan, and Serhii—to school, they would take other measures against her. Left with no choice, she abandoned all her belongings to save her children from forced Russification.

Seventeen-year-olds Matvii, Oleksandr, and Maksym fled after receiving military draft notices from the Russian army. Matvii and Oleksandr were forced to accept Russian passports, after which they were immediately conscripted. Maksym was abducted from his home, handcuffed, and taken to a military enlistment office, where he was pressured to sign a contract. After his release, he hid at his grandmother’s house until our team helped him escape.

The mother of 16-year-old Yurko was a teacher. The occupation authorities constantly pressured her to collaborate, but she categorically refused. With her son approaching conscription age, staying in occupied territory was no longer an option.

Eight-year-old Danylo endured severe bullying in kindergarten simply for being Ukrainian. One day, he came home with a busted lip and bruises, and his mother decided she had to save her child.

Alisa Tsushko gave birth to her daughter during the full-scale war but refused to obtain Russian documents for her. The occupiers insisted the child was “Russian,” but Alisa managed to secure a Ukrainian birth certificate. As a result, the next year and a half under occupation was a nightmare—her child was denied vaccinations and basic medical care.

Twelve-year-old Andrii and seven-year-old Mia endured unimaginable horrors. After their mother’s death, Russian social services took them away and placed them in an orphanage, where they were prepared for adoption by Russian families. They were forced to sing propaganda songs about “Rostov and Donbas” and sent to lessons where they were taught how to assemble assault rifles. The occupiers confiscated their phones and kept them completely isolated from their relatives. But Save Ukraine finally managed to reunite them with their aunt.

This rescue operation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Humaniti Charitable Foundation, the Coordination Center at the SBU, and with the support of the Ukrainian Ombudsman’s Office.

We remain committed to doing everything we can to save Ukrainian children from the occupiers’ lawlessness.