Teenager illegally deported by Russians from occupied Mariupol returns to Ukraine

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister - Temporary Occupied Territories Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Vereshchuk, Viacheslav was raised without parents. In 2021, he turned 15 and began studies at Mariupol Higher Metallurgical Professional School.

“As the enemy seized the city of Mariupol, the occupiers deported Viacheslav to Shakhtarsk. But, the boy turned out to be brave and smart. He found a way to get in touch with the right people. The rest was a matter of efforts, patience and persistence of many concerned people. But, today the boy is already with us,” Vereshchuk noted.

In this regard, Vereshchuk expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Department of Juvenile Services in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district, as well as National Program Development Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine Daria Kasyanova and the Ukrainian Child Rights Network.

Photo: Iryna Vereshchuk, Telegram