Ukraine returns 13 children from Russian occupation, NGO says

Ukraine has returned 13 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories over the past week, according to Mykola Kuleba, founder of the humanitarian organization Save Ukraine. The children had endured threats, psychological pressure, and life-threatening conditions under Russian occupation, which the organization is determined to stop.

Among those returned was Andrii, who faced propaganda, forced schooling, and ideological testing, and Luka, who was forced to attend a Russian-controlled school despite health issues and received a military draft notice. Save Ukraine, in partnership with President Volodymyr Zelensky's Bring Kids Back UA initiative, has rescued over 1,800 children from Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, with more than 582,000 Ukrainian children attending Russian-run schools in occupied areas during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Brief written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.