“I thought they would never let me go. That they would keep me until I turned 18 so I couldn’t escape,” recalls 17-year-old Maksym, whose hometown fell under occupation. Three Russian soldiers forced him face-down onto the floor, handcuffed him, and took him away to an unknown location.

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Before the war, Maksym lived with his parents and grandfather in a town in southern Ukraine. He helped his father repair cars and dreamed of becoming a mechanic. But on February 24, 2022, everything changed—explosions, hours spent hiding in the cellar, and constant fear for his family’s lives.

A few months ago, Russian soldiers came to their house, put Maksym in handcuffs, and took him away. They said he needed to register for military service. At the enlistment office, he was forced to undergo a medical examination and was threatened: “Once you’re 18, you’ll serve Russia.” Maksym begged to call his family, but only after several hours was he allowed to do so.

His grandmother was the one who rescued him, convincing the soldiers to let him go. She then hid him in her village for a week, while back home, things only got worse—Russian military police raided their house twice, and his father was taken to a detention facility for a week. He never spoke about what happened there.

Forced mobilization had begun in the city. Draft papers were delivered to every house, and Maksym’s friends were being grabbed right off the streets. One of them was forced to sign a contract with the Russian army under the threat of 25 years in prison.

Maksym knew he had to escape. His mother told him, “Go, I’m staying.” A friend who had fled earlier sent him contacts for Save Ukraine, and we organized his rescue. Three hours of interrogations and phone checks at the border. But when he saw Ukrainian flags, he finally felt relief. “Mom, I’m in Kyiv,” he said the moment he could call.

Now, Maksym is still trying to recover from everything he’s been through, but he hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming a mechanic.

Watch the video to see how Save Ukraine helps rescue children from occupation.👇