11 children taken to the Russian Federation and the occupied territories returned to Ukraine

Ukraine continues to fight not only on the fronts, but also in the shadow of the most tragic manifestations of this war – the fight for its children. The return of minor citizens from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories has become one of the most acute and painful topics of the current stage of the conflict. This is not only a legal or political issue, but a deep wound on the body of a nation that is trying every day not only to protect itself, but also not to lose its future. This time, it was possible to return home eleven more Ukrainian children who were illegally taken away during hostilities and occupation.

From deportation to rescue: the return of Ukrainian children

Thanks to the mediation role of the State of Qatar, Ukraine was able to return 11 children who were in the territory of Russia or temporarily occupied lands. About this reported Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets. According to him, the youngest child who was returned was 10 years old, and the oldest was 17.

Children who were in the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as in the occupied parts of Ukraine, found themselves at home again – in the legal, physical and emotional sense. But the path to this return is difficult, confusing, and sometimes dangerous.

The return of these children became possible thanks to a whole series of coordinated actions: interdepartmental cooperation within Ukraine, interaction with foreign partners, established communication channels, legal registration, psychological support. Each such operation is not just a technical procedure, but a combination of diplomacy, logistics and moral responsibility.

According to Lubinets, behind these victories there is a whole chain of decisions: from the verification of data and verification of children’s identities to the involvement of foreign structures capable of influencing the situation. And at the same time, these are the stories of children who were torn from their homes by the war, deprived of their usual life guidelines and placed in a new reality, where everything was unfamiliar and sometimes hostile.

Comeback stories: not numbers, but destinies

This time, several extremely sensitive cases were in the spotlight. One of them is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl from Donetsk region. After the start of the war, she remained under the supervision of her grandmother in the occupied territory, while her mother was captured. The life of this child in the occupied lands lasted more than a year. Only after the release of the mother in April 2023, there was a real possibility to return the girl to a full life in the family. The very moment of family reunification, as the ombudsman notes, cannot be described in dry terms: it is a triumph of humanity, compassion and endurance.

Another story is about five children from one family. During active hostilities, the guardian took them to Russia. Perhaps with the intention to save from war. But life there did not become savior for them: over time, the children independently contacted their native sister in Ukraine. They openly stated that they wanted to return home. And the state did everything possible to ensure that this cry for help did not go unanswered.

These stories are just a few touches to a larger problem. Each number is not just a statistic. Behind each is a personality: traumatized, but unbreakable. A child who was silent yesterday out of fear, and today speaks Ukrainian again.

Illegal removal: what international law says

Legally, the removal of Ukrainian children to Russia or the occupied territories is a gross violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions. This is forced deportation, which is recognized as a war crime. That is why this topic became the subject of consideration by the International Criminal Court. It is known that a warrant was issued for the arrest of Vladimir Putin and the Russian ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova on this occasion.

The return of every child is not just an act of humanity, but also a legal precedent. It strengthens the position of Ukraine in the international arena, proves the ability of the Ukrainian state to protect its citizens and emphasizes the criminality of the actions of the occupying state.

Psychological rehabilitation of children

Children who are returned have lived in isolation, often in conditions of violent Russification or ideological pressure. For them, the return is not only a movement in space, but also an emotional and mental restoration. That is why, as Lubinets emphasized, it is extremely important to provide psychological assistance. The child should not just arrive – he should return to an environment that will become safe for him again.

And here the role of the state, volunteer organizations, psychologists, and teachers is irreplaceable. They have to help children feel free again, teach them to trust adults and their own experience, which was too often devalued or distorted by occupation propaganda.

What else is Ukraine working on?

Authorities are continuing their efforts to identify other deported children. The work is conducted under conditions of limited access to the occupied territories, concealment of information from the Russian Federation, obstacles in the form of manipulation of documents and names. But even in such difficult conditions, it has already been possible to return hundreds of children – the result of a constant struggle for each fate.

In this process, it is also important to inform the international community. Ukraine is trying to attract the attention of partners as much as possible, involve international institutions, and create mechanisms of pressure on the aggressor country.

The return of children illegally taken to Russia or the occupied territories is a complex and multi-layered process that combines diplomacy, legal work, international cooperation and an individual approach to each story. He testifies that even in times of war it is possible to defend the basic rights of children, including the right to a family, citizenship and protection from forced deportation.