Last week, the Save Ukraine team rescued 32 children and teenagers from occupation. This was made possible thanks to the support of our partners within the framework of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of them endured pressure, intimidation, and attempts at “re-education,” but today, that is finally behind them.

Among the rescued:

🔹 6-year-old Maksym, who grew up under constant shelling and enemy drone attacks. Drones circled right above the playgrounds where the boy played, striking neighboring houses right before his eyes. Because of the horrors he experienced, Maksym suffered deep psychological trauma, became very withdrawn, and was terrified to go outside.

🔹 17-year-old Mariia, who survived a direct Russian drone strike on her own bedroom. At gunpoint, she was forced to attend an occupation school where children were used as human shields. During attacks, they were not allowed into the shelter; instead, they were forced to sit right under the windows for hours.

🔹 16-year-old Denys, who spent four years living in total isolation. His family literally hid the teenager at home so he wouldn’t be forced to study under the Russian curriculum or be drafted into the Russian army. Once, the occupiers burst into his home for a search, terrifying the boy and openly threatening to burn the family alive along with their house.

For these and 29 other children, the occupation is now in the past. Today, they are undergoing rehabilitation at our Hope and Healing centers, receiving comprehensive psychological support, assistance with documents, and a cozy place to live so they can start with a clean slate.

Unfortunately, thousands of children still remain under occupation, where the enemy is trying to erase their identity and weaponize them. That is why our fight for every single one of them continues.

🙏🏻 Thank you to our partners Wladimir Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel, #WeAreAllUkrainians, and the Joint Center for Coordinating the Search and Release—together, we are bringing Ukrainian children home.

Thanks to Save Ukraine, over 1,700 children are already home.