Thanks to the tireless daily work of the Save Ukraine team and the support of our partners within the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, we have rescued more Ukrainian children from occupation. These children endured fear, pressure, and humiliation — but today, they are finally safe. They can once again just be children, breathe freely, and feel love around them.

Among those rescued:

🔸 13-year-old Olena, who was forced to attend a Russian school while living under occupation. Instead of being placed in sixth grade, she was forcibly enrolled in third grade and forbidden to speak Ukrainian. When Olena and her father tried to escape on their own, he was detained, beaten, and falsely accused of abuse — simply because he was raising his daughter as a single parent.

🔸 5-year-old Nazar, whose father took him to Russia and refused to return the child to his mother. It was only when the mother bravely traveled there herself that she was able to bring her son back. Today, Nazar is finally reunited with his mother — smiling, playing, and seemingly feeling true peace for the first time in a long while.

🔸 17-year-old Viktor, who could no longer bear the psychological pressure of life under occupation. Surrounded by Russian symbols, propaganda, and bans on expressing his identity, he gradually lost his sense of hope. He withdrew, fell into depression, and is now receiving psychological rehabilitation.

🔸 7-year-old Serhii, whose father was detained at a military checkpoint in the occupied territory, beaten, and interrogated for more than two hours. After this incident, the family realized that staying meant putting their lives — especially their child’s — at risk. Serhii was supposed to start school soon. During their escape to safety, he leaned over to his mother and whispered, “Mom, is Ukraine not a secret anymore?”

Despite the terrifying ordeals they’ve endured, these children’s spirits remain unbroken. At Save Ukraine’s Hope and Healing centers, they are finding not only shelter, but a caring environment where they are understood and supported. Here, they receive help adjusting to their new reality, getting proper documentation, accessing psychological support, and rebuilding a connection to normal life.

We are deeply grateful to our partners — WeAreAllUkrainians, the Humanity Foundation, and the Joint Center for Coordination of POW Search and Release. Together, we’re not just rescuing children — we’re giving them back their childhood, their sense of safety, and their hope for a life without fear.

*Children’s names have been changed for safety reasons.