Three more children and their families have been rescued from the temporarily occupied territories. His particular mission presented extraordinary challenges.

Nadia and her 14-year-old son, Mykhailo, were subjected to two searches by Russian forces. To protect her son, Nadia concealed him under a blanket, claiming he was ill. The Russians had instituted a youth military group named Young Army at Mykhailo’s school. Here, children were instructed in drone operation and weapon use. Additionally, each Monday featured a lesson during which the children were questioned about what they had observed and heard. This practice was designed to encourage informing.

During this period, Nadia lost her husband and saw her eldest daughter and her family flee to Bulgaria. Nadia intended to leave with Mykhailo but remained to care for her ailing mother-in-law. To endure the occupation, Nadia often turned to draw, but ultimately had to destroy her artwork depicting Ukrainian themes.

Maryna recalls how difficult it was to survive in the occupation with children in the first months of the full-scale war. Initially, groceries disappeared from the shelves, and some humanitarian aid was distributed at the local council. Then, internet access vanished completely for four months. Russians prohibited having Ukrainian SIM cards on phones, and using Telegram was forbidden to prevent access to Ukrainian news. Initially, Marina’s 11-year-old son, Artur, still played outside with friends. But after a mortar shelling, he became too scared to go out and stopped playing. Children at school were told that Ukraine no longer existed and Kyiv was a Russian city. Parents were not allowed into the school building, and the children constantly studied under the supervision of armed military personnel. They were also taught to inform their parents regarding what they said about the so-called “LPR.”

Fortunately, our team, along with the Humanity Foundation and volunteers from partner organizations, assisted these families in safely escaping to the territory controlled by Ukraine. Now, both the children and parents are safe, facing a long journey of recovery and rebuilding their lives. As of today, Save Ukraine has brought back 276 children from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. We thank our partners for their hard work.