Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 16 Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territory. The mission was made possible thanks to the support of partners united under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each story is proof that the occupiers are turning childhood into a space for propaganda, intimidation, and coercion.

Polina, 15, escaped occupation with her aunt by sheer miracle. Her mother, father, and older brother have been in captivity for more than two years. The Russians fabricated charges against them and sentenced them to over 15 years in prison for “espionage.”

14-year-old Valeria and her 7-year-old sister Alina still recall the night their home burned to the ground. The fire destroyed everything — even their documents. The family was left only with the clothes they were wearing.

Viktoria, 15, lived with her parents almost entirely behind closed doors for the past three years. They only left home in extreme cases, terrified of drawing the occupiers’ attention. Every day, they feared a knock on the door — and that the children would be taken away.

10-year-old Myroslav was nearly separated from his parents by the occupation authorities. Representatives of the so-called “guardianship service” demanded that custody be “transferred,” claiming the boy could not stay with his biological parents. Later, they even blackmailed his mother, saying her son was a “missing ward of the state.”

Fortunately, all the rescued children and families are now safe. At our Hope and Healing Centers, they are receiving psychological support, restoring their documents, and learning how to live normal lives again.

We sincerely thank our partners WeAreAllUkrainians and the Joint Center for the Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War and Unlawfully Detained Persons. Together, we are not only saving children but also restoring their sense of peace and faith in the future.

The children’s names have been changed for security reasons.