23 Ukrainian children rescued from Russian occupation
Twenty-three Ukrainian children were brought back from Russian-occupied areas to Kyiv-held territory, announced Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office.
The operation was carried out as part of the "Bring Kids Back UA" campaign, launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to secure the return of children who had been deported or detained in the occupied regions, according to Reuters.
Mr Yermak said the children rescued include two sisters who refused to attend Russian-run schools, despite being threatened with being separated from their mother. Another child was forced to leave the Russian school after refusing to comply, and one girl and her mother were initially denied permission to leave because a family member was serving with the Ukrainian armed forces.
Kyiv says Russia has unlawfully deported more than 19,500 children to Russia and Belarus, breaking the Geneva Conventions. However, a report from Yale University's School of Public Health, funded by the United States, suggests that the actual number of children deported could exceed 35,000.
Moscow denies the allegations, saying it acted to protect children from the war, while Kyiv and international organisations describe the actions as forced deportations – a potential war crime under international law.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
