Our Save Ukraine team, as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, has completed another rescue mission. Five children and their mothers have escaped occupation and now have a chance to rebuild their lives safely. This mission is part of our larger efforts: in 2024 alone, we brought 326 children back home from occupied territories and Russia.

Each story is a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and why we must continue striving to bring every child back to Ukraine.

👉 Little Matvii was just six months old when the full-scale invasion began. He witnessed Russian soldiers abduct his mother four times, taking her for interrogations involving torture. After one of these, Halyna returned home with a broken arm; another time, her skin was burned with a soldering iron.

👉 15-year-old Trokhym was left alone in his occupied village after Russian forces prevented his mother from returning from Kharkiv, and his father passed away due to illness. The boy had to obtain Russian documents while his mother searched for a way to bring him out of occupation. Time was running out as the occupiers began pressuring him to register for military service.

👉 Kseniia refused to cooperate with the occupation authorities and didn’t send her daughter to a Russian school. Instead, Diana continued studying online with her Ukrainian school. Ksenia limited her child’s interactions with occupiers and other children influenced by them, fearing Diana might be taken to a Russian camp.

👉 Yuliia and her mother, Svitlana, shared how a shell struck their yard, forcing them to relocate to another city. With all Ukrainian schools and kindergartens shut down and Russian forces frequently cutting off internet and communication, Svitlana made the brave decision to leave the occupation zone so her daughter could continue her education and pursue her passion for guitar.

👉 Vladyslava and her daughter Miia were also forced to leave home in the south due to constant fear. Russian soldiers repeatedly raided their house, interrogating and threatening them. One such raid nearly ended in tragedy because Vladyslava’s relatives were former Ukrainian service members.

Now, these children and their families are safe.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners WeAreAllUkrainians, Ron Wahid, the Humanity Foundation, and the Joint Center for the Coordination of Search and Release of Prisoners for their support. Thanks to you, children’s dreams of a peaceful childhood are becoming a reality. 💙💛