War changes everyone, but it affects children the most. It deprives them of their carefree childhood, leaves deep and incurable scars on their hearts, forces them to grow up faster. But there is something that the war could not take away – the ability to act. Today, the children of Ukraine are not just observers of this war, they act on the front lines, fight as they can: collect funds for the army, weave camouflage nets, give the soldiers necessary things, support them, win international competitions, proving that Ukraine is strong, even when it hurts. Little people who, it would seem, are just learning to get to know this world, but already have the power to change everything around them. They do not ask pathetic questions, do not conduct political debates and do not juggle big words. But it is in their hearts that huge impulses are hidden, capable of shaking even the strongest foundations of this world.
Children who create the future
We can admire the heroic deeds of adults – soldiers, doctors, volunteers. But we should not forget that there are children among us who also change the course of history. Even if they do not carry weapons, their hearts, their support and their desire to live in peace prove to be powerful tools of struggle. For example, stories about small volunteers who collect money for the needs of the army, or about schoolchildren who send drawings to the military – are a real manifestation of support, even if their hands cannot yet firmly hold a weapon. They know that their participation is important, and therefore every action becomes part of a larger struggle.
One of the vivid examples of such children’s initiatives is the story of Roman Terlych, a fifth-grader from Lviv. The boy won the Olympics and received UAH 50,000. However, instead of spending this money on himself, he decided to buy a Mavic quadcopter for the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. Roman understood that the military needed drones more than his personal whims, and he did not doubt his decision. It was his own choice, and he did not think about whether it would be a “fashionable gift” or a “bright gesture.”
In the village of Lypyny, Lutsk district, six children decided that carols can be not just children’s fun, but bring benefits. They collected funds to help the defenders, and they were supported by two volunteer girls from Lutsk and Lviv. Such initiatives, when children themselves choose how to help the country, have actually become commonplace in Ukraine. They do not wait for adults, but actively look for ways to get involved.
In Stryi district, students of the gymnasium named after Vasyl Stasyuk organized a borscht festival, during which they managed to collect UAH 60,000 to support the military. And in Zolochiv, during the “Give Love to the World” charity event, children collected over UAH 93,000 for the purchase of FPV drones for the 53rd separate mechanized brigade. These are not just numbers for the news feed, but real help that children are trying to bring to their defenders.
Among other examples is Maksym Brovchenko from Berdyansk, who paints pictures and sends all the money received from sales to the needs of the Armed Forces. Irynka Vasylieva from Rivne lost her father and uncle in the war, but she did not despair, but makes wreaths and sells them. He sends the money earned to purchase thermal imagers and cars for the Armed Forces.
Andriy Pokrasa from the Kyiv region, together with his father, used a drone to track the movement of the occupiers and transmit the coordinates to our military. And Danylo Sergeev from Mariupol took care of elderly people from the first days of the war, helped them in shelters and even provided first aid. He even took people out of destroyed houses, risking his own life.
These cases are not just about help, but stories about how even children, whom we usually think of as carefree and juvenile, understand that their actions can change a lot. They are not waiting for the moment when they become adults to do great things, but already now, with their small hands, they are helping to build the future for Ukraine.
It should be noted that it is not only about active assistance. Let’s look at the children who, even in shelters or evacuated areas, continue to learn. They hear explosions, but they don’t let fear break their thirst for knowledge. Our students understand that their future depends on what they will be tomorrow. Little Ukrainians have become living proof that even in the darkest times, you can find light if you strive for it.
Adult feats of children during the war years
War does not ask about age. She makes no exceptions for those who just yesterday played in the sandbox or learned the multiplication table. War just comes and forces you to survive. And sometimes – to fight. This was also the case during the Second World War. Children, whom no one prepared for heroism, became liaisons, saboteurs, rescued the wounded, worked in factories and in the fields. They were not even sixteen, but their actions were no less important than the exploits of adults.
Young undergrounds skilfully transmitted information about the movement of German troops, hid weapons, tore down rails and bridges. They were invisible fighters who had to act quickly, intelligently and without the right to a second chance. One of them was Valentyn Kotyk, a boy from Shepetivka who, at the age of 12, destroyed enemy targets together with the partisans. He did not have time to grow up, but he became a Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously.
Young spies penetrated behind enemy lines, obtained secret documents, and helped partisans. Sometimes they were betrayed, and then they died in cruel tortures, but they did not surrender their own. In the occupied territories and in the rear, children worked on an equal footing with adults. They made shells, repaired tanks, collected weapons from the wreckage of broken equipment. Small hands gathered ears of corn in the fields, because each gram of grain was worth a lifetime. Tanya Markus, for example, at the age of 16 became part of the Kyiv underground. She did not just convey messages or help the partisans. Tanya eliminated German officers, disguising herself as a Soviet schoolgirl who got lost.
Another category of young heroes are children-sanitaries. They carried the wounded out of shelling, bandaged wounds in conditions where adults were afraid to even approach. 13-year-old Nina Kukoverova pulled dozens of soldiers from the battlefield, her hands were constantly covered in blood, but she did not stop until someone else could survive.
Each such boy or girl had their own name, their own history and their own future, most of which were taken away by the war. They did not ask to be heroes, did not look for exploits, but simply could not do otherwise. And although their names are not always mentioned in textbooks, their deeds were no less important than the battles at the front. They were children who were forced to become adults. History knows no other option – in any era, in any war, when the enemy comes, even small hearts begin to beat harder.
Sports victories are louder than explosions
War breaks destinies, but it cannot break everyone’s irresistible willpower. Hundreds of Ukrainian children were wounded by shelling, lost limbs, sight or hearing. These children experienced pain, operations, rehabilitation, but did not accept the role of victims. They go on running tracks, stand on skis, pick up tennis rackets, challenge not only their opponents, but also their own injuries.
Oleksandra Pascal, an eight-year-old gymnast from Chornomorsk, is a vivid example of how tragedy can turn into a powerful impetus for great victories. Her story began in May 2022, when a Russian missile hit the country house of the Pascal family in Zatoka in Odesa. This explosion took away the girl’s childhood and cost her a leg, but it could not break her spirit. After a serious injury, 15 days in a coma and amputation, Sasha returned to her great passion – rhythmic gymnastics. Even before the tragedy, Oleksandra was passionate about gymnastics, and after rehabilitation, she not only returned to training, but also started competing again, proving to herself and the world that even the most difficult tests will not be able to stop her dreams.
Three months after the amputation, the girl continued training, and later, in November 2024, she performed at the international tournament “Rizatdinova Cup”. Her number with a prosthesis made an impression on the audience and caused a standing ovation, and Oleksandra herself received the title of “Miss Invincibility”. This moment became a symbol of victory over circumstances.
Such stories inspire and support many, and one of them is the story of Yana Stepanenko. A 13-year-old girl from the Donetsk region lost both legs during the shelling of the Kramatorsk station when she came with her family for evacuation. The tragedy changed her life forever, but it was not the end of her journey. Yana began a difficult rehabilitation process, learned to walk again, and then to run, having received modern prostheses from the Unbroken center.
Her first marathon turned from an athletic victory into a symbol of how to overcome painful limitations and move on. Yana did not stop there and took on the role of Unbroken ambassador, helping to raise money for a bioprosthesis for the Ukrainian military. This is an example of how a person who has experienced a tragedy himself can share his strength and hope with others.
Another incredible story is the story of 8-year-old Marynka from the Kherson region, who, after losing her leg due to Russian shelling, became a national record holder. The girl was invited to become a participant in the Boston Marathon. Marinka overcame 5 km and became another example of indomitable will. Subsequently, Marynka became the first child in Ukraine with an above-knee prosthesis to ski down a ski slope, and this also entered the Book of World Records as a national record.
Of course, it is not easy for children who are forced to grow up in the conditions of war. It is difficult for them not only because of physical or psychological injuries, but also because the world they knew is collapsing before their eyes. However, they have one thing – hope. And when we talk about hope, we mean not just an abstract wish, but a real belief in a better future.
Next to great pains, experiences, losses and traumas, heroic Ukrainian children teach us, adults, to go forward even when the darkness seems insurmountable, teach us not to give up, even if it seems that we have exhausted all our strength. Their courage has no limits, it can serve as an example for many adults.
