A family with a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl has left the occupied city of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region and moved to the territory controlled by Ukraine.
Tthis was announced by the authorized representative of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, on Telegram.
Russian soldiers visited the Ukrainians' house three times to conduct searches, and when asked to search without guns to avoid scaring the children, they were refused.
According to Lubinets, the residents of Hola Prystan have a pro-Ukrainian position, and even teenagers have the courage to voice it. However, Russians take them out into the field and shoot near their heads to intimidate them.
Many residents of the city suffered from the sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station by the Russians. According to their accounts, when the water receded, over 1,000 bodies were found in the city, many of whom are still missing.
"Living in constant fear, the family did not let the children out of the yard. And after the illegal 'elections' held under duress and shelling, a collaborating neighbor informed that the 'new authorities' would deprive parents of parental care for children who do not attend Russian school," Lubinets noted.
So, in order for their son to continue his Ukrainian education and their daughter to start first grade in a Ukrainian school, the parents tried to leave as soon as possible.
According to the representative, this was difficult due to a lack of funds, as the father of the children refused to work for the Russian forces on principle and earned money by helping the residents of the city.
The family managed to leave. They have already been to the Child Rights Protection Center, where they were talked to by psychologists, investigators, partners, and representatives of state bodies who are ready to help the family start a new life.
The children have already received tablets, so they will be able to acquire knowledge in a convenient way. They will also help them enroll in school, choose extracurricular activities, and receive psychological support if necessary.
