Lauge Risom Koch 
Ukraine says 47 children and teenagers were returned from Russian-occupied territories during July through the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, while thousands of others remain under occupation.
Ukraine has brought 47 children and teenagers back from Russian-occupied territories to government-controlled areas this month, according to the humanitarian organization Save Ukraine.
According to the Kyiv Independent, the returns were announced by Save Ukraine in statements published on July 15 and July 22 as part of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA.
Children rescued
“However, thousands of children remain trapped under occupation, where they are forced to forget their roots and are openly being prepared for war. But we will not stop,” a July 22 statement read.
According to the Kyiv Independent, one of the children, 13-year-old Anhelina, suffered a shrapnel wound but was allegedly denied medical treatment in Russian-occupied territory because she did not have Russian-issued documents. The organization said officials also threatened to separate her from her mother.
Another teenager, 18-year-old Tymur, reportedly survived after an armed Russian soldier entered his home and opened fire. Save Ukraine said he later fled because he also faced the threat of forced conscription.
Broader effort
According to the Kyiv Independent, Save Ukraine did not disclose which occupied regions the children were returned from. The organization said the operation was carried out with partner organizations under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
Ukraine’s national Children of War database says at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been taken from Russian-occupied territories to Russia or Russian-controlled areas since February 2022, while Bring Kids Back UA estimates that around 1.6 million children remain under Russian occupation.
International scrutiny
According to the Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian officials believe the true number of children taken from occupied territories may be much higher. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has estimated the figure at up to 150,000, while Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Daria Herasymchuk has estimated between 200,000 and 300,000.
The report also notes that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova over their alleged role in the deportation of Ukrainian children.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, Save Ukraine
