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Governor: Teenager escapes Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast

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Governor: Teenager escapes Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast
Schuman RoundaboutMembers from a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, Avaaz, light candels and lay toys on the ground in the , the center of the EU district in Brussels, Belgium, in protest against the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children on Feb. 24, 2023. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

A 16-year-old girl and her caretaker have escaped Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast to Ukrainian-controlled territory, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Feb. 11.

"Life under occupation is filled with fear and horrors. This is evidenced by the story of a family who managed to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory," Prokudin wrote on Telegram.

"The grandmother-caretaker and her 16-year-old granddaughter couldn't leave because they feared passing through enemy checkpoints."

According to Prokudin, the family worked with various services for a long time to help them flee Russian occupation.

“So, I am pleased to welcome another child, another family, to the free land," he wrote.

According to official estimates, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has abducted or forcibly displaced around 20,000 children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, although the actual number is likely much higher.

Almost 400 of them have been brought back to the Kyiv-controlled territory.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, on war crimes charges for their role in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during the full-scale invasion.

‘It was hell.’ Mother speaks of rescuing her child from Russian captivity
On Oct. 8, Tetiana Bodak was busy organizing a funeral for her mother, who was killed by a Russian attack in then-occupied Kherson Oblast, when she got an unexpected and very emotional phone call from her son. “Mom, I’m in Oleshky (a Russian-occupied settlement in Kherson Oblast). On the way
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We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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