Ukraine returns 13 children from occupied Kherson region
This was reported on Telegram by Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin, according to Ukrinform.
“Another 13 children have returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region,” the statement said.
According to officials, the group includes five girls and eight boys aged between 3 and 17. One of the children is deprived of parental care. Prokudin noted that all of them had experienced pressure, threats, and fear as a result of Russia’s occupation.
He said that in some cases, Russian forces allegedly intimidated children by staging scenarios involving execution threats while wearing Ukrainian uniforms. Other children, despite health issues, were reportedly forced by occupation authorities to register for military service, while teenagers were prepared for combat training, including digging trenches and handling weapons.
Prokudin emphasized that the children are now safe and undergoing reintegration in Hope and Recovery centers, where they receive psychological support, documentation assistance, shelter, and care.
The return took place under President Volodymyr Zelensky’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA, with support from the charity organization Save Ukraine.
As reported by Ukrinform, as of April 30, a total of 2,126 Ukrainian children had been brought back from Russian captivity or deportation.
