The race against time to save Ukrainian kids from Putin's war machine
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian kids are believed to have been taken by Russia. We joined a rescue mission to bring four home.
Ukrainian NGO Save Ukraine is racing against time to rescue teenage boys from Russia-occupied territories. Kateryna Fedosenko, the organization's key figure, is coordinating the rescue mission as dozens of children remain under Russian control. The boys could be drafted into Russia's war machine and forced to sign contracts, leading to their deployment in combat.
Russian military can take them away at any moment, leaving the children in constant fear. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted, forcibly transferred, or deported since the war began in February 2022. The Ukrainian government has verified 20,651 children, but the true number is believed to be higher. Save Ukraine has brought home over 1,700 children so far.
There are 1.6 million Ukrainian children living under Russian control in eastern Ukraine, where they face indoctrination and military training. The frontline stretches along the eastern and northern borders, making the only safe route back into Ukraine a journey of over a thousand kilometers through Russia and Belarus. Russian border agents and Belarusian checkpoints look for opportunities to prevent Ukrainians from leaving.
Save Ukraine's team must now engineer the rescues remotely, as many kids attempt the crossing alone due to the fear of being detained or interrogated at the border.
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