Themes by tag: children
Last week, 16 children were rescued from an occupied area as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, which was launched by the President of Ukraine and carried out with the help of the Save Ukraine team.
- 17-year-old Milana had to wait for her mother, who was held captive in a basement for three days without food or water — simply because the girl’s father is a Ukrainian soldier. She endured searches, polygraph tests, and humiliation, and was threatened with being “dumped in the Dnipro River.” Milana lived in constant fear that her mother would disappear forever.
- 17-year-old Mark went to school and was registered for military conscription. After a “psychological test”, russian soldiers took him and some of his classmates to a military enlistment office without parental consent. The boy nearly became an orphan when a drone hit his parents’ car — they survived by a miracle.
- 2-year-old Solomiia also miraculously survived the occupation. When the girl woke up at night with a fever of 40°C, her mother, Olena, unable to call an ambulance, decided to drive her daughter to the hospital herself. However, russian soldiers refused to let their car cross the bridge, threatening to smash the windows. Olena then carried Solomiia across a pontoon bridge in the darkness.
- The family of 14-yearian Alina barely managed to flee the occupation in time to avoid being left homeless. The occupying authorities threatened to seize their apartment. They were initially refused passage at the checkpoint until the girl deleted all Ukrainian channels from her phone.
Today, they are all safe. They are undergoing rehabilitation, recovering documents, and receiving psychological support and assistance with housing. They now have a roof over their heads and ongoing support.
Journalists may speak with Save Ukraine representatives by prior arrangement.
With support from partners, the savED Charity Foundation has set up two underground educational spaces in the de-occupied city of Balakliia in the Kharkiv oblast. These spaces will enable hundreds of local children to participate offline in extracurricular activities within their community.
The first learning center, which spans over 110 square meters, is located in the bomb shelter of a lyceum in Balakliia. Since the start of the full-scale war, students at this institution have only been able to learn online. In spring 2025, russian UAVs struck the lyceum twice, damaging the roof and one wing of the building.
In 2023, the savED Charity Foundation, supported by U-Lead, created the Vulyk (Beehive) Educational Center to restore access to in-person after-school classes at the lyceum. There, students could participate in extracurricular activities with teachers. Thanks to KFC Ukraine’s charitable “Star Donation” campaign this year, the foundation was able to equip an additional underground space for lyceum students. The shelter now contains six classrooms and areas for sports, reading, dining, and relaxation. The project cost over 2.8 million hryvnia.
The SavED Foundation established a second underground educational space in Balakliia, in another city lyceum. The institution was damaged by russian airstrikes at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and looted by russian troops during the occupation. With the help of partners from tsukat IT company and Adobe, SavED was able to furnish a learning space in the lyceum’s shelter that can hold over a hundred students at once. The project cost over 390,000 hryvnia.
At just 16, Sofiia has lived through more than most her age. When russia’s full-scale invasion forced her family to leave Kyiv, they resettled in Switzerland, where she faced months of loneliness and difficulty adjusting to an unfamiliar culture. Seeking support, she turned to the Voices of Children Foundation, where online counseling sessions helped her manage stress and gradually find her footing in a new community.
For a school project, Sofiia chose to honor a powerful symbol of her homeland: the AN-225 Mriya airplane, the world’s largest cargo plane that was destroyed in the early days of the war. With painstaking effort, she built a model of the aircraft by hand, measuring 113 by 110 centimeters. When she unveiled it at a school presentation, Sofiia spoke to classmates, teachers, and parents about the war in Ukraine and the hardships children endure under constant russian attacks. She appealed to the Swiss community to donate and stand with Ukrainians in need.
Her project grew into something bigger. Determined to expand her effort, Sofiia launched a large-scale fundraiser to support children most affected by the war. Ukrainian businesses soon took notice. Inspired by her initiative, the Voices of Children Foundation partnered with SkyUp Airlines and the jewelry brand Kochut to launch a charity drive aiming to raise 500,000 hryvnias (about USD 12,500). Proceeds will fund vital psychological support for children in frontline regions who have lived through the trauma of war.
Journalists can arrange online interviews with Sofiia, as well as speak with representatives of the Voices of Children Foundation in Kyiv.
In partnership with IREX and with funding from U.S. taxpayers, the savED Charitable Foundation has opened modular, temporary learning spaces in the Pervomaiska and Shevchenkivska communities of the Mykolaiv oblast. This initiative will enable over 500 local children to resume in-person learning.
Throughout 2022, the Pervomaiska community — which received one of the temporary learning spaces — was on the frontline of combat and suffered significant destruction. Specifically, a russian attack destroyed a secondary school in one of its villages. In 2023, savED established an educational center called “Vulyk” (The Hive) in a local family medicine clinic, where students could participate in interactive extracurricular sessions with tutors. However, this was insufficient to restore full-scale education for the hundreds of children in the community. The new modular space will enable 220 local students to resume in-person schooling.
Shevchenkivska is the second community to receive a modular temporary learning space. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the community has been on the frontline, with some of its settlements enduring eight months of occupation.
The temporary learning spaces are barrier-free and child-friendly. Each of the six classrooms features high ceilings, comfortable furniture, tablets, and interactive multimedia panels. The facilities also include a large inclusive restroom, a teachers’ lounge, and a server room. The entrance is equipped with a ramp. Alternative power sources enable the spaces to operate fully during electricity outages.
It is worth noting that students in Bohdanivka, a village in the Kyiv oblast, where russians burned down the local school, students now study in a similar modular temporary learning space.
Background: Temporary learning spaces are built by benefactors using reliable modular structures in communities where schools have been damaged due to russian aggression or where the infrastructure needs to be expanded due to an increase in student enrollment, including internally displaced persons.
A presentation of the study “The deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children from occupied territories through the lens of changing russian propaganda narratives”, will be held at the Media Center Ukraine on September 11.
russia is systematically deporting Ukrainian children from occupied territories, depriving them of their national identity, family ties, and future. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is launching a large-scale propaganda campaign to justify or conceal these crimes.
The study demonstrates how russian narratives have evolved — from outright denial of deportations to attempts to portray them as “humanitarian aid” or “rescue missions”. The study focuses on the fate of children as tools of information warfare and the challenges faced by Ukrainian society and the international community.
During the event:
- The authors will present the study’s key findings;
- Experts will explain why russia uses children in propaganda;
- Participants will discuss strategies for shifting narratives and effectively countering disinformation.
Speakers include:
- Authors of the study;
- Representatives of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative;
- Experts in countering propaganda and disinformation.
Registration is required for the event.
Background: The study was conducted with financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The content of the publication reflects the authors’ views and does not necessarily represent NED’s position.
On September 1, three new underground schools opened in Kharkiv. The city now has a total of 18 secure educational locations: seven underground schools, six metro stations equipped with classrooms, and shelters set up in educational institutions.
Background: Due to constant russian shelling of Kharkiv, in September 2023, children began studying in the city’s underground metro system, where special classrooms were set up at several stations. In May 2024, Kharkiv launched its first dedicated underground school.
Since childhood, Sofiia had looked after her cousins and played with her neighbors’ young daughter. She often imagined welcoming a child deprived of parental care into her family one day. In 2020, when she turned 20, Sofiia applied to become a mentor for a child from an orphanage because she knew she wasn’t ready for adoption at such a young age.
After a year, she completed her training and received approval from the social services center on February 21, 2022. However, the full-scale war began shortly thereafter, putting her mentorship dreams on hold.
Two years later, she received a call offering her the chance to meet 12-year-old Alina from the Donetsk oblast. Alina has younger brothers who live with her in the orphanage, but there are no adults who maintain contact with her.
Today, Sofiia helps Alina socialize. Their meetings include practical lessons, such as shopping, budgeting, cooking, and using computer programs, as well as emotional support and help with schoolwork.
Journalists can arrange to speak with Sofiia Yudina online or in person in Kyiv or Odesa by prior agreement. Sofiia can also provide joint photos with Alina for publication. Please note that journalists will not be able to speak directly with Alina.
The Media Center Ukraine to host briefing: “The Return of Ukrainian Children Abducted by russia as a Step Toward Peace: How the International Community Can Accelerate the Process”
Participants:
– Kateryna Rashevska, PhD in International Law, Expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights.
Key topics:
– The current status of efforts to return Ukrainian children abducted by russia: statistics and progress;
– How has the repatriation process for Ukrainian children evolved today?
– Who is currently involved in returning Ukrainian children from russia and how?
The 2nd International Scientific and Practical Conference on Pediatric Palliative Care, “Butterflies of Hope”, will be held in Chernivtsi at the “City of Goodness” on August 15-16.
The event will bring together leading experts from Ukraine and Europe to discuss the lives of children with severe and incurable diagnoses who fight daily for their right to an adequate childhood.
The conference will feature specialists in pediatric neurology, anesthesiology, palliative pediatrics, physical therapy, transportation of children with palliative needs, and outpatient care. Discussions will also focus on upholding the rights of palliative children, respecting their dignity, and ensuring their safety in challenging life circumstances.
Background: The “House of Butterflies” medical center is part of the “City of Goodness” — a unique space where children with incurable illnesses receive not only medical care but also comprehensive support, including psychological, rehabilitative, educational, and daily living assistance. The mission of the “City of Goodness” is to create a large-scale safe space offering holistic support to women and children facing difficult life circumstances. This includes helping children displaced by war, families affected by violence, and children in need of palliative care or rehabilitation.
The Terentiev family lived a normal life in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, until March 16, 2022, when a russian shelling attack claimed the life of Dmytro’s mother, Tetiana. Moments earlier, she had left her son in the care of her mother, Mariia, intending to return shortly after collecting a few belongings. She never came back.
Mariia became Dmytro’s guardian. Together, they fled the besieged city and, months later, returned to begin rebuilding their damaged home and resuming daily life.
In early 2023, Dmytro’s father, Roman, enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. By June, he was reported missing in action. A photograph later appeared on a russian website, showing a man with visible bruises, identified as Roman, in captivity.
Today, Mariia says her attention is focused entirely on her grandson. Dmytro is a capable and inquisitive student with strong skills in mathematics and computer science. He plays the piano, looks after his collection of cacti, and aspires to create content as a YouTuber. Above all, he hopes for peace and the chance to see his father again.
Interviews with Dmytro in Chernihiv can be arranged in advance.
For reference: The Children of Heroes charitable foundation is currently supporting the family. The organization assists children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion by providing financial aid, psychological and legal support, and resources for education and personal development until they reach adulthood.
