Ukraine brings teen, his mother back from occupied territory

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"Another teenager and his mother have been rescued from the temporarily occupied territory as part of President of Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative," Yermak wrote.

According to him, the 17-year-old boy spent more than three years under occupation — in an atmosphere of constant pressure from the occupation authorities and fear of being forcibly conscripted into the Russian army. Russian soldiers regularly went door to door: checking documents, conducting searches, and interrogations. Even speaking Ukrainian was dangerous, yet the boy continued studying online at a Ukrainian college.

Yermak thanked the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and the Humanity charitable foundation for helping rescue the family.

On November 11, another large group of Ukrainian children and teenagers was brought back from Russian-occupied territories under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

Photo: Bring Kids Back UA