Ukraine has returned five more children aged 4 to 15 from the temporarily occupied territories and Russia.
This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.
Three children were abducted by Russians in 2022 from the Kherson Childrenʼs Home: a seven-year-old boy, as well as a brother and sister aged 4 and 6.
A brother and sister havenʼt seen their mother in four years—the last time she hugged them was when they were babies. Today, theyʼre together again.
Another 9-year-old boy ended up with his mother in Russia. The woman died of a serious illness, and the child will now live in Ukraine with his uncle.
"These stories show: childhood, which should have been filled with fairy tales and warmth, has become a test of endurance. But now itʼs not just about pain. Itʼs about returning, about the first hugs after long years of separation," Lubinets added.
He thanked US First Lady Melania Trump, who facilitated the return of the third group of Ukrainian children.
In total, according to the ombudsman, 1 985 children abducted by Russia have already returned home since the start of the full-scale war.
- The deportation of Ukrainian children is one of Russiaʼs war crimes, for which the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the Russian Childrenʼs Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova.
- Ukraine has officially confirmed that Russia has abducted almost 19 500 Ukrainian children. The Russian Federation itself says that it has taken away 744 000 children. Ukraine also has evidence that Belarus is participating in the deportation of Ukrainian children.
- On December 3, 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the return of all illegally removed Ukrainian children.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.