Five more children from the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region have returned to territory controlled by Ukraine, announced Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Regional Military Administration.
"These are three boys and two girls aged 10 to 17. Among those rescued are two teenagers, aged 17 and 14, who endured constant pressure, threats, and propaganda from the occupiers," he wrote on Telegram on Monday.
As Prokudin recounted, a 17-year-old youth was forced to attend an occupation-run school due to threats made against his family. Armed Russian troops regularly burst into their home, conducting searches and inspecting phones and electronic devices. At the age of 16, he was forced to sign a military draft notice.
"The family of the 14-year-old teenager was threatened with having him sent to an orphanage if he did not attend the Russian school. There, the teenager was exposed to Russian propaganda daily, and Russian troops urged children to become combat drone operators," Prokudin wrote.
According to him, all five children are now safe and undergoing reintegration at Hope and Recovery centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documentation, and necessary care.
The return was carried out as part of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA, with the assistance of the charitable organization Save Ukraine. According to the regional military administration, 190 children have been returned to Ukraine-controlled territory from the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region since the beginning of 2026.
