Support Ukrainian Kids Rescued from Occupation

During the past quarter, the Save Ukraine team continued its mission to rescue, return, restore, and reintegrate children who were forcibly deported to Russia or who remained in occupied territories. These children are not only victims of war, but also of systematic abduction, displacement, and trauma. Our goal is to return every child home, support their psychological recovery, and ensure they are raised in a family, not in an institution.

From January to April 2025, Save Ukraine has already returned 71 children from Russian deportation and occupied territories — 29 girls and 42 boys. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, our team has rescued a total of 630 children (326 boys and 304 girls). Among them are 141 orphans (65 boys and 76 girls), some of whom have already been placed into safe family-based care with psychological and legal support. Not a single child has been placed in an institutional facility.

Among the recently rescued in 2025 is Andrii (name changed for safety reasons), who became an orphan after his father was tortured to death by Russian forces in the Kherson region. At the father’s funeral, representatives of the occupation administration announced the mandatory registration of Russian custody. Andrii feared he would be taken to an orphanage and sent far from home. His father’s death deeply traumatized him. He withdrew emotionally and avoids recalling recent events as a way to protect himself. Andrii avoided any contact with Russian authorities throughout the occupation. Armed soldiers came twice to search his home. Russian troops illegally settled in one of the two family houses and looted everything — electronics, furniture, even the boy’s library. The house was left completely empty. During all this time, Andrii studied online at a Ukrainian school and lived in fear that his devices would be searched. Following repeated raids and threats from the occupation administration, his relatives contacted Save Ukraine. His extraction required careful planning to avoid endangering family members who remained under occupation. Today, Andrii is safe and undergoing rehabilitation at the Hope and Healing Center, where he receives psychological support, education, and assistance in rebuilding his life.

Another child, five-year-old Oleh (name changed), experienced deep psychological trauma after armed Russian soldiers stormed his home. Following the incident, he stopped speaking for over a year, suffered from nightmares, and developed a fear of all men in uniform. His father, a Ukrainian serviceman, was in hiding while the family faced constant pressure and threats. When the occupation authorities began demanding that the mother enroll her son in a Russian school and accept Russian citizenship — threatening to strip her of parental rights — she contacted Save Ukraine. Despite the risks and detainment during their escape, the family reached Ukrainian-controlled territory. Today, Oleh is in a rehabilitation center, where he is supported by a psychologist and speech therapist.

These children, like many others, are now undergoing recovery in our centers. They receive:

• safe accommodation;

• nutritious meals;

• psychological counseling and therapy;

• legal assistance and medical support;

• inclusive education and social adaptation services.

For orphaned children, we are actively seeking loving families ready to give them a new life. Every child has the right to care, safety, and a future.

We sincerely thank you for your support. Every contribution you make is another rescued voice, another childhood restored. Thanks to you, we are able to continue this work that brings hope and dignity back to Ukraine’s most vulnerable children.

Thank you for standing with us!

Links:

• 4 More Ukrainian Children Rescued from Occupation