Ukraine rescues eight young people from Russian occupation, including teenager targeted for military recruitment
Eight Ukrainian children and young people have been brought out of Russian-occupied territory, including a 19-year-old who was forcibly registered for Russian military service after recruiters visited his school, according to the Ukrainian charity Save Ukraine.
The rescue operation took place last week with support from partners involved in Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative, Save Ukraine founder Mykola Kuleba said on November 13.
Among those rescued was Vlad, 19, who faced repeated humiliation and pressure from teachers because he was Ukrainian, Kuleba said.
At school, students were required to disassemble rifles, write letters to Russian soldiers and collect supplies for them. Russian military personnel later began visiting classes to recruit young people to sign military contracts.
Vlad was subsequently placed on Russia's military register against his will, according to Kuleba. He did not say that Vlad had joined the Russian army.
Another rescued teenager, 16-year-old Maksym, was kept out of the Russian-controlled school system by his mother to protect him from propaganda.
Kuleba said a Russian drone once followed Maksym and his friends as they walked outside, hovering directly above them. The teenager also had to obtain a Russian passport to improve his chances of leaving occupied territory.
Five-year-old Matvii grew up amid threats from Russian forces. According to Kuleba, Russian personnel imprisoned the boy's grandfather in a basement for speaking Ukrainian.
Kuleba also accused Russian forces of deliberately shelling residential neighborhoods to drive civilians toward Russia and then occupying their abandoned homes. These allegations could not be independently verified from the charity's statement.
All eight people are now in Ukrainian-controlled territory, receiving psychological support, rehabilitation and assistance restoring their documents, Kuleba said.
Save Ukraine says it has helped bring more than 1,900 Ukrainian children out of Russian occupation.
Russia's treatment of Ukrainian children in occupied territories has drawn international scrutiny. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
The warrants concern alleged deportations and transfers, a separate issue from the military recruitment pressure described in this rescue operation.