Eight more Ukrainian children have been successfully rescued from temporarily occupied Crimea thanks to the efforts of the Save Ukraine team, the International Headquarters for Aid to Ukrainians, and the Office of the Ombudsman, as part of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

These children, from a large family, became victims of Russia’s systematic war crimes. While they were in the hospital, they were forcibly taken from their mother. Under the threat of losing her parental rights, the woman was coerced into signing documents that transferred her children to an orphanage.

At the institution, the children were subjected to discrimination due to their Ukrainian origins. They were forced to participate in meetings with Russian military personnel for propaganda photo reports. They were also involved in so-called “charity events” to raise funds for the Russian army. Additionally, children were taught how to assemble and disassemble guns, participated in combat training competitions, enrolled in paramilitary clubs and cadet classes, and were indoctrinated into a culture of war from an early age.

On the temporarily occupied territories, propaganda begins as early as kindergarten. Ukrainian children are not raised as free individuals but as future captives of the Kremlin—deprived of their right to choice, free thought, and national identity.

But today, all eight children are safe. We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners WeAreAllUkrainians, Ron Wahid, and Ukrzaliznytsia for supporting this mission. In total, we have already brought 579 children home, including 129 who had been deprived of parental care. We will not stop until every Ukrainian child is home.