Ukraine has returned three more children from occupation

Three more Ukrainian children have been returned from Russian occupation. The families are from Mariupol and southern Ukraine.

Family from Mariupol

According to Yermak, a young family from Mariupol found themselves in the epicenter of the war at the very beginning of the full-scale invasion.

"Their oldest son was only four years old at the time. They couldn’t leave the city and were forced to remain under occupation. In September 2022, a daughter was born," said the Head of the Presidential Office.

The father of the family, he noted, is a serviceman in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, putting the entire family at risk. Every day, they had to hide to avoid persecution, and their struggle for survival lasted more than two years.

"Today (November 23, - ed.), the 6-year-old boy, his 2-year-old sister, and their parents have left the danger behind. They are beginning a new chapter in life," Yermak concluded.

Family from southern Ukraine

Two parents and their six-month-old son were living in their native village in southern Ukraine when the invasion began. The father immediately went to defend the country in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but after a few months, he was captured by the Russians, where he was tortured - beaten, subjected to electric shocks, and forced to sing the Russian anthem.

"He had no contact with his relatives. The mother stayed at home with the little son. Their village was occupied, and leaving became increasingly difficult. The mother had to hide from the occupiers, fearing daily for her son’s life and praying for her husband," Yermak said.

When the father was managed to be returned from captivity, the family faced new difficulties: the Russians would not let the mother and son leave the temporarily occupied territories, taking them for interrogations.

"After numerous attempts, the family managed to reunite. Now they are learning to live together after years of separation and trials. The son, who was told about his father the hero, now has the opportunity to see him nearby," noted the Head of the Presidential Office.