Ukraine returns 1,859 abducted children, Zelenska says in Paris
Ukraine has returned 1,859 children who were abducted and taken to Russian-held territory, First Lady Olena Zelenska said during a high-level meeting in Paris on Dec. 1 held under President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative.
According to Ukraine’s national "Children of War" database, at least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and taken to Russia or Russian-controlled areas since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
An estimated 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain in territories occupied by Russia as of 2025, Kyiv Independent's recent investigation highlights.
Zelenska participated in the event alongside France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. Around 150 officials, diplomats, business representatives, philanthropists, mayors, regional leaders, and cultural figures attended.
Ukraine and its international partners have established an International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which now includes 42 countries, as well as the EU, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Zelenska said.
She stressed that returning a child home is only the first step: "After a child physically returns home, psychological and social return is still required." She added that Ukraine is developing mental-health programs and has introduced state assistance for every returned child.
The meeting also outlined the key workstreams of Bring Kids Back UA, including locating and identifying deported children, arranging their return, providing psychological support to families, and developing reintegration and rehabilitation models with international partners.
