According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, 12 Ukrainian children have been successfully returned to their homeland. The children, along with their families, had been living in occupied territories in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Fortunately, they are now on Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Families shared their experiences of the chaos imposed by the Russian forces. They were forcibly pressured to obtain Russian passports, as without these "new documents," citizens had no rights and could not access social guarantees or medical care. Even children with congenital conditions requiring special care were denied treatment. Parents were offered to send their children for "rehabilitation," which often turned out to be deportation or forced relocation. Some children had to attend "Russian schools," where there was active promotion of the "Russian world."
"According to the returnees, Russians in the occupied territories detained, beat, tortured with electricity, and psychologically pressured adults, while also interrogating children without parental presence and using torture methods. Unjustified searches of local residents' homes were also frequently conducted," informs Dmytro Lubinets.
One returned boy, planning his future, left the occupied territory because he wants to become a Ukrainian rescuer and pursue education at a dream higher education institution.
The sense of their own powerlessness, limited opportunities, and the realization of the bleak future awaiting children motivated the families to move to Ukrainian-controlled territory. The families have already visited our Child Rights Protection Center, where they met with a competent multifunctional team that documented the crimes they witnessed or suffered.
Ukraine is always ready to welcome each returnee and provide essential humanitarian, medical, psychological, social, and other necessary support.
