On February 23, 2026, in Kyiv, during the Justice conference organized by the Office of the President of Ukraine to mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, a panel discussion titled “The Stolen Generation: How Russia Is Destroying the Future of Ukrainian Children” took place.

The panel was moderated by Mykola Kuleba, founder and head of Save Ukraine and the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights of Ukraine from 2014 to 2021.

A key moment of the discussion was the participation of children and families rescued by our team. Following the screening of a documentary video, Maksym and Ms. Olha appeared on stage together with her 12-year-old son Andrii (names have been changed for security reasons) to address the international community on behalf of thousands of Ukrainian children who remain in occupied territories and in the Russian Federation.

Maksym, who has been deaf and nonverbal since birth, shared his story through a sign language interpreter, speaking about life under occupation, the loss of his mother, and attempts to forcibly recruit him into the Russian army. In his address, he called on international partners to make every effort to secure the release of the children and to hold Russia accountable.

Ms. Olha, who had been separated from her son for more than three years, spoke on behalf of thousands of Ukrainian mothers who continue to wait for the return of their children.

In his speech, Mykola Kuleba emphasized that Russia has built a systematic model aimed at erasing the Ukrainian identity of children — from banning language and national symbols to militarization and forced preparation for war. He stressed that the return of Ukrainian children is not only a humanitarian task but also a matter of international security.

The panel discussion also included the Ukrainian Ombudsman, representatives of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, as well as international partners from the United States and the United Kingdom. Participants emphasized the need to increase international pressure on Russia and to strengthen coordination efforts to ensure the return of abducted Ukrainian children.