Julia tried to take her adopted daughter out of the occupation twice, but the Russians didn’t let them go. In April 2022, the family went through Snigurivka in the Mykolayiv region, where they were simply turned back by Russians. In the summer, they tried to break out through Vasylivka, Zaporizhzhia region, where the Russians set up a filtration point and interrogated people. Then they had to wait 3 days for their turn in the car in the scorching sun. However, again they weren’t released, and 4-year-old Yarynka was so stressed that she began to stutter.

When the Russian military came to check on Maria’s home, they pointed the barrel of an armored personnel carrier at the house, behind which the Russians had hidden the URAL. It was very dangerous to live in the occupation, and the woman often had to hide her granddaughters who were under her care. Once, she has rescued Ksenia, Karina, and Olenka in the cornfield.

And on the roof of the five-story building in which 16-year-old Serhii lived, there was a Russian air defense system. The occupation authorities in their village forced them to take Russian passports and go to study in a Russian school. Otherwise, there could be big problems. Their familiar 17-year-old boys were taken to a pit or basement.

These stories are not from some fantasy movie, the script for which had to be invented. These are real stories of Ukrainian children whom the Save Ukraine team helped leave the territory of Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. A full-scale war has been going on for more than 1.5 years, but it is still hard to believe that such events can happen in our time.

All 11 children returned to Ukraine as a result of the 10th rescue mission are now safe. Now these families face a long process of recovery to a normal life. And our team will help them in this as well.

P.S. All names in these stories have been changed on purpose. However, the stories are all real.