1,605 children abducted by russia have been returned to Ukraine

A Ukrainian initiative working to track and recover children abducted by russia says more than 1,600 minors have been returned to their families, often after enduring harsh treatment.

Oleksandra Dvoretska, head of policy at Bring Kids Back UA, said at Media Center Ukraine.

“1,605 children have been successfully brought home. Of those, just 83 were repatriated with Qatar’s mediation. Most were returned either independently or through rescue missions,” she said.

According to Dvoretska, children who return often describe pressure and indoctrination in russian custody. Many were forced to sing the russian national anthem and take militarized lessons, with coercion increasing the more a child resisted.

She stressed that the process of returning abducted children must be unconditional, saying there can be no exchanges involving children on occupied territory or near nuclear power plants.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news