Ukraine has returned home another illegally deported youth, who was taken to Russia in April 2022 as part of a large group of children from Mariupol, the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories reports.

"Another deported youth has been returned …This story began in April 2022. 17-year-old Oleksandr, as part of a group of 31 children, was taken from the temporarily occupied Mariupol to Moscow region. The vast majority of children from that group were orphans or deprived of parental care," the Ministry of Reintegration said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Reintegration, on the eve of the New Year, a public figure who is engaged in the return of children addressed the Crisis Response Department of the Ministry of Reintegration. "And here is a new small victory. Oleksandr is already in Kyiv now. He is the fifth of this group who has been returned."