Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has managed to return 2,000 Ukrainian children from under Russia's control. This was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who immediately noted that there is still a long way to go, as thousands of children remain hostages of the Russian Federation, UNN reports.
Today we have an important result – 2,000 Ukrainian children who have been returned home from under Russia's control as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of these returns was made possible thanks to the daily work of our people, public organizations, and international partners. We are grateful to everyone who joined this struggle for the future of our children, our country, and the entire free world.
The President emphasized that there is still a long and difficult road ahead.
Thousands of Ukrainian children still remain hostages of Russia, becoming victims of its crimes every day. But we will not stop until we bring every Ukrainian child home.
Let's add
In turn, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, emphasized that "today's figure – 2000 – is both a great achievement and a painful reminder." Because these are 2000 returned children out of thousands of deported and forcibly displaced children.
In addition, more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain in the temporarily occupied territories – under pressure, propaganda, and attempts to erase their identity. There, the education system has been turned into an instrument of ideological influence. There, children are being isolated from Ukraine, from the language, from the truth.
Lubinets also called on international partners to increase pressure and sanctions for the deportation of Ukrainian children.
I call on states with influence to use it to return every child. I call on human rights organizations and media to keep this issue on the agenda. And every day we continue to work on the return of our citizens. Every day we raise this issue and take concrete steps to return our children!