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More than two dozen Ukrainian children who had been kidnapped and taken to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine have now been brought home, a charity announced.
“Children kidnapped by the Russians from Kherson and Kharkiv regions have finally crossed the border with their relatives and now they [are] safe,” said the organization, Save Ukraine.
“After a long separation of several months, they will meet their families.”
Video shared by the organization showed children, who it claims to have helped return to Ukraine, exiting a bus and running into relatives’ arms, some in tearful embrace.
“Ahead of both children and parents is psychological and physical recovery. And we will continue to care for them until the families are home.”
Save Ukraine provides “evacuation, humanitarian aid, and housing to families and children in war zones,” according to its website.
This was its fifth operation bringing Ukrainian children home, the group’s head, Mykola Kuleba told the outlet Meduza.
The harrowing effort included mothers facing “a 13-hour interrogation” by Russia’s Federal Security Service, and a grandmother who died from the stress she experienced during the journey trying to bring her two grandchildren home, the group claimed.
“The woman’s heart could not stand it,” the organization claimed.
The ICC issued arrest warrants last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, charging the pair with war crimes that included illegally deporting children from Ukraine to Russia since the brutal invasion began in February 2022.
More than 19,000 children have been forcibly taken to Russia, according to Ukraine’s Children of War portal.
Only 360 have returned.
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