Three Ukrainian children — a 17-year-old boy and two younger boys — have been returned from Russian-occupied regions to Ukraine-controlled territory, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced on Jan. 7.
The 17-year-old faced persecution by Russian occupation authorities for his pro-Ukrainian stance and assistance to the Ukrainian army, according to Lubinets.
"He supported Ukraine under occupation and endured interrogations, threats, and intimidation from occupation representatives. Yet neither fear nor pressure broke his spirit," Lubinets said.
The teenager is receiving humanitarian and financial support and preparing to continue his education in Ukraine.
The two younger boys were separated from their mother, who fled Ukraine due to the war. Left in occupied Donetsk Oblast with their biological father, the boys were evacuated with the assistance of Lubinets’ office and reunited with their mother.
"Today, this family is safe and beginning the journey to heal the wounds of war," he said.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, almost 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia, according to the Children of War database. Fewer than 400 have been returned home.
Investigations by the Financial Times and The Guardian revealed systemic efforts by Russian authorities to re-educate illegally deported children and, in some cases, place them for adoption through government-linked platforms.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia, in March 2023.
The ICC wrote that it believes Putin “bears individual criminal responsibility” as the leader of Russia for the crimes committed against Ukrainian children.
(Updated: )
