Fourteen-year-old Veronika, who was kidnapped to the Russian territory following the invasion of Ukraine, has been returned home, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced.
The girl is safe and healthy with her grandmother, according to Lubinets.
The ombudsman’s office reports it helped to facilitate Veronika’s return.
“The girl will undergo rehabilitation and receive all necessary medical and psychological support,” Lubinets wrote on Telegram.
Over 19,000 children have been forcefully taken by Russia after the full-scale invasion and occupation of Ukraine’s territory according to the “Children of War” database.
The Ukrainian government and non-governmental institutions are working on their safe return. As of yet, only 365 have been rescued from captivity.
The Russian authorities are speedily “assigning” the kidnapped children to adoption and foster care by Russian citizens.
The children are submitted to re-education to instill “pro-Russia patriotic values.”
The mass kidnapping of children by Moscow has led to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the official supervising the abduction process.
Daria Shulzhenko
