During a full-scale war that has lasted for more than two years, attention to the safety of children must be daily and as responsible as possible. In a period of constant stress, limited space for games, frequent changes of environment and lack of qualified care, children’s behavior can be unpredictable and vulnerability can be maximum. In particular, this applies to children who are in the frontline areas and are under care or brought up in family-type homes. In such circumstances, even an ordinary game can turn into a threatening situation. The events that took place in the Kharkiv region on June 1 clearly testify to this disturbing reality.
About disappearance reported at the police of the Kharkiv Region on June 2. On the evening of the first day of summer, three children disappeared in the village of Bunakovo, Loziv district, Kharkiv region. It happened around 5:00 p.m. during a game of hide-and-seek on the grounds of a family-style home. According to official information released by the police of the Kharkiv region on June 2, it is about the disappearance of three minors: 11-year-old Alina Terekhova, 12-year-old Denys Ukraintsev and 13-year-old Natalia Ukraintseva.
The disappearance was discovered immediately, but independent searches did not yield results, so an official search was announced the next morning. The police have issued a full description of the children and urged anyone who may have seen them in the village area or has any information to contact the police immediately.
Signs of missing children in the Loziv district:
– Denys Ukraintsev, 12 years old: height 150 cm, short dark hair, medium build. He was last seen wearing blue shorts, a gray t-shirt and gray sneakers.
– Alina Terekhova, 11 years old: height 160 cm, long blond hair, medium build. She was wearing black shorts and a black T-shirt.
– Natalia Ukraintseva, 13 years old: height 160 cm, long blond hair, medium build. She was last seen wearing yellow shorts, a yellow T-shirt and blue slippers.
The released surveillance photos and archival footage provided by the police show that the children appear neat, confident, and have no outward signs of injury or disorientation. All of them knew each other and were under the care of the same house.
According to Kharkiv Society, the children were family-type pupils. Information about conflicts in the family or attempts to escape had not been received before. However, taking into account age characteristics, psychologists note that the age of 11-13 years is one of the most difficult in the formation of emotional perception of reality, especially in conditions of war, relocation, loss of the usual environment.
Possible risks: games in dangerous conditions
Playing hide-and-seek is one of the most common forms of leisure among teenage children. However, in a rural setting, especially in a region that suffers from regular shelling or is close to a war zone, such a game can become dangerous.
Given the structure of rural development, children could go to abandoned buildings, forest strips, fields or structures that are not controlled and may be mined. The police of the Kharkiv Region have repeatedly warned about the presence of explosive objects even in relatively safe areas.
In addition, it is not excluded that the children could go to the nearest settlement or try to reach a certain goal on their own — for example, as a result of an emotional impulse. The war caused a wave of childhood disorders: anxiety states, sleep disturbances, feelings of loss of control, the desire to “hide” or “disappear” can have real, dangerous manifestations. Especially if there is no stable adult authority nearby, in whom the child has confidence.
What those who care can do
The police call on all residents of the Loziv district and surrounding areas to keep a close eye on children who may fit the description. If there is the slightest suspicion, it is worth reporting by phone: (057) 452-29-59, (066) 708-49-60 or line 102.
Every minute of delay reduces the chances of the children’s quick return. The first 24-48 hours after a disappearance are especially critical, when children may still be in the neighborhood or may be seen by passers-by.
The disappearance of three children from the same family, even if temporarily under guardianship, cannot be perceived as an exceptional situation. This is a mirror of the reality in which military Ukraine lives. Even in the absence of active hostilities in a specific settlement, children remain in a vulnerable state — physically, psychologically, and socially. They need daily support, the constant presence of adults, attention to mood changes, to risky behavior, to small things that may have seemed insignificant before.
This is especially true for families in foster care. Children who have already experienced loss, orphanhood, or a change in caregivers may unconsciously or impulsively resort to running away, isolating themselves, or disappearing for long periods of time without warning.
All services – the police, social services, educators, psychologists – must act in a coordinated manner. But the first ones who can prevent a tragedy are always adults nearby. Their attentiveness, stability, predictability are what the child’s safety rests on in conditions of an uncertain time.
This post is designed to draw attention not just to a specific case, but to a systemic problem. Attention to children is not an episode, but a constant requirement of wartime. If you see a child unaccompanied by adults in an unusual place, do not pass by. It could save her life.
