Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 19 Ukrainian children and teenagers from occupation. This mission became possible thanks to the support of Wladimir Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel of WeAreAllUkrainians, the Humanity Charitable Foundation, and the Joint Center for Coordination of Search and Release. These children endured threats, pressure, and attempts at re-education — but today, they are finally safe.

Among those rescued:

🔹 19-year-old Olena, who was persecuted by Russian soldiers: they repeatedly searched her home, harassed her, threatened her with weapons, and once even tried to force her into their car. She barely managed to escape. Olena was forced to attend a Russian school, and when she refused, soldiers threatened her mother with removing the child from the family.

🔹 12-year-old Makar, whose home was ransacked during a raid: Russian soldiers tore everything apart and nearly seized his father’s car to transport ammunition. When a young boy in the village was killed by a drone strike and died in the local hospital, Makar’s mother realized she had no choice but to flee the occupation to save her son.

🔹 17-year-old Sofiia, who was required to take a course in “military medicine,” learning to apply tourniquets and act in a “red zone.” She had no right to opt out. After soldiers searched their home and found pro-Ukrainian messages on her mother’s phone, the family was fined 15,000 rubles and placed under special surveillance.

🔹 18-year-old Ostap, who received two draft notices to the Russian military registration office before turning 18. The first time, he saw a military vehicle pull up to the house and hid in time. The second notice was handed to his foster mother, who refused to let him leave the house. From that moment, he counted down the days until his 18th birthday — the moment he could attempt to escape the occupation on his own.

All rescued children are now staying in our Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive psychological support, help with documentation, safe housing, and the care they need to regain a sense of security and learn to dream again. Thanks to Save Ukraine, more than 1,000 children have already been returned from occupation — but thousands more are still waiting for their way home.