This week, Mykola Kuleba, the founder of Save Ukraine, addressed the United States Senate to draw attention to one of the most brutal crimes of this war — Russia’s systematic abduction and militarization of Ukrainian children.

He spoke not only as the head of an organization, but also as a father and as someone who personally meets the children we bring home. Through our “underground railroad,” Save Ukraine has already managed to return more than a thousand boys and girls who were forcibly taken to Russia or held hostage in temporarily occupied territories. But hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children still remain trapped behind Russia’s new “iron curtain.”

During his testimony, Mykola shared with senators the accounts of children who were forced to renounce the Ukrainian language, change their names and citizenship, and undergo military training. Some were held in military camps where they were taught to throw grenades, crawl under barbed wire, and handle weapons. Others witnessed torture — and some barely survived. Every child we bring back has lost a part of their childhood.

The evidence collected by Save Ukraine shows clearly: Russia is pursuing a deliberate, state-driven policy aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and destroying Ukraine’s future.

We urged the U.S. Senate to help Ukraine demand that Russia disclose full lists of abducted children and ensure the return of every single one of them.
Because as long as even one child remains in the hands of the occupiers, our work is far from over.