13 children were returned from the occupied Kherson region

Another 13 children were returned from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region to territory controlled by Ukraine, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, reported.

Among those returned are 5 girls and 8 boys aged from 3 to 17 years; this group also includes 1 child deprived of parental care.

According to Oleksandr Prokudin, the children on the occupied territory were subjected to pressure and intimidation, and some of them, despite their health condition, were forced to register for military service.

It is also noted that teenagers were involved in activities at training grounds where they were taught basic military skills and underwent related drills.

After returning, all the children are undergoing reintegration in “Hope and Recovery” centers, where they are provided with psychological support, assistance with restoring documents, and safe shelter.

The return operation was carried out as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative with the assistance of the charitable organization Save Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiga reported that the Russian side had proposed including abducted Ukrainian children on exchange lists, as stated in his previously released statement.

Earlier we wrote:

• “Enough of war”: Zelensky issued a direct challenge to Putin and proposed a personal meeting
• Completed the third part of the large-scale exchange «1000 for 1000», which was agreed in Turkey