Governor: 6 children brought back from Russian-occupied territory

Save Ukraine, a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO, rescued six more children from Russian-occupied territories, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on May 14.

Over 19,500 children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and less than 400 of them have been brought back home, according to the Children of War database.

The six children included one girl and five boys aged five to 12, according to Prokudin.

Reportedly, they were at risk of being sent to the so-called Russian "health camps."

"Parents decided to leave the occupation. There were cases when children were taken away and not returned home," Prokudin said.

"It was an extremely difficult rescue mission, with delays at checkpoints and intimidation."

The children who were brought back home receive psychological and medical support, the governor said.

A total of 84 children have been reportedly brought back from Russian-occupied territory in Kherson Oblast since the beginning of 2024.