Bringing Hope and Healing to War-Affected Orphans

Over the last quarter, the Save Ukraine team has continued its mission to rescue, return, rehabilitate and reintegrate children who have survived occupation, deportation and psychological trauma. Every child saved is a new story of hope, and thanks to your support, there are more and more of these stories.

As of September 2025, we have already returned 899 children from temporarily occupied territories and Russia, including 168 orphans. Each child receives comprehensive assistance – a safe place to live, psychological support, access to education, medical care and legal assistance. As a matter of principle, we do not send children to boarding schools – they all remain in a family environment or receive individual support until they are placed with a family.

One of these stories is that of 17-year-old Kirill from the Kherson region, who was orphaned during the occupation. His foster mother says that for more than two years, the family lived in fear – the riverbank was mined, Russian soldiers regularly visited the village, and there were checks and searches. The children hardly left the house so as not to come into the occupiers' field of vision. The school switched to distance learning, and later the occupying authorities began to demand that Russian documents be issued, citizenship applications be signed, and even that children be enrolled in Russian school programmes. People were warned that those who refused would be visited by the ‘special services’. During searches, neighbours had their phones confiscated and were threatened with inspections. The family lived with a constant sense of danger, but tried to preserve the Ukrainian language and identity for their children by reading Ukrainian books and listening to songs.

When it became clear that it was dangerous to stay, the family turned to Save Ukraine for help in evacuating the children. The departure was risky: they had to pass through numerous checkpoints, hide their intention to leave even from their neighbours, and explain at Russian checkpoints why a 17-year-old boy did not have a Russian passport. Thanks to the support of Save Ukraine, the entire group of children was safely transported to government-controlled territory.

Today, Kirill is in a safe place and receiving the necessary psychological support. For the first time in several years, he has begun to plan his future, dreaming of going to college and getting a profession. His foster mother says, ‘I am grateful that my children are safe. We were able to save their childhood, and now we can think about tomorrow.’

We sincerely thank every donor who makes this work possible. Every donation you make means another child saved, another story that ends with hope. Together, we are giving children back their right to a happy future.

In the first five months of 2025, Save Ukraine successfully returned 104 Ukrainian children from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. In May alone, we rescued 28 children. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 663 children have been brought home, including 146 orphans.

Among them is 17-year-old Dmytro. His story is not loud or public. It is a story of devastating loss, quiet resilience, and inner strength in the face of overwhelming fear.

Dmytro became an orphan after Russian occupiers abducted his father twice. They tortured him with beatings and electric shocks, then forced him to dig his own grave at a cemetery while pressuring him to collaborate. After one of these “interrogations,” his father returned home unable to speak, see, or move. Doctors diagnosed him with severe brain atrophy and critical neurological damage. Soon after, he passed away. He was only 42 years old.

At the funeral, representatives of the occupation administration declared that Dmytro must accept Russian guardianship. The boy feared being sent far from home to an orphanage in Russia. That fear was not unfounded—armed forces had already searched his home, and occupying soldiers took over another part of the house. They stole appliances, furniture, and even Dmytro’s personal library.

Dmytro avoided any contact with the occupiers. He remained silent, hiding. He continued studying remotely at a Ukrainian school, despite the fear that someone would find evidence on his phone. His only support during that dark time was a close friend with whom he played volleyball and trained on pull-up bars. These brief moments gave Dmytro a reason to keep going.

After his father’s death, relatives reached out to Save Ukraine. They knew that if Dmytro was not evacuated soon, he might disappear. Our team managed to organize his rescue while ensuring the safety of family members still living under occupation. Today, Dmytro is safe. He is receiving care and rehabilitation at the Hope and Healing Center. He speaks little. He doesn’t yet know what his future holds. But he is reading again—and this time, in peace.

This is just one story. There are dozens more—hundreds. Save Ukraine continues the daily fight for every child’s life, every future, every hope.

Thanks to you, we can bring children home, provide them with rehabilitation, and help them recover in safety.

Thank you for your support! Your help saves lives!