Ukraine Rescues Two Young Men from Occupation: One Fleeing Propaganda, Another Escaping Humiliation

Ukrainian officials have successfully rescued two teenagers from Russian-occupied territories, bringing them back to safety and reuniting them with their families in government-controlled areas, according to a statement from Andriy Yermak, Head of the President’s Office.

The rescue operation was conducted as part of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative, which aims to return Ukrainian children and young people who remain under Russian occupation following the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.

One of the rescued individuals, an 18-year-old boy, had been living in an environment where Ukrainian education was systematically dismantled and replaced with Russian curriculum and propaganda. Yermak described how the teenager witnessed his teachers being forced to adopt Russian educational standards while military personnel regularly visited schools to deliver lectures promoting service to Russia.

“Speaking Ukrainian became dangerous,” Yermak noted, explaining that the young man faced the grim prospect of eventual forced conscription into the Russian military if he remained in occupied territory.

The second individual, a 20-year-old, had endured nearly three years under occupation. During this time, he faced isolation, humiliation, and was subjected to constant checks and searches by occupation authorities. According to Yermak, the young man’s sister had previously escaped to Ukrainian-controlled territory and ultimately convinced her brother to make the difficult journey to safety.

These rescues highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in occupied regions of Ukraine, where residents face intense pressure to conform to Russian cultural and political control. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials and human rights organizations have documented numerous cases of forced Russification, particularly targeting young people through the education system.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on charges related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, which constitutes a war crime.

Yermak acknowledged the crucial role played by civil society organizations in these recent rescues. “I thank the Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights and the Humanity initiative, which helped save these boys,” he said, emphasizing that these efforts fulfill President Zelensky’s mandate to return all Ukrainian children to safety.

The “Bring Kids Back UA” program represents a coordinated effort between government agencies and non-governmental organizations to identify, locate, and safely extract vulnerable Ukrainians from occupied territories. The process is complex and dangerous, involving secret communications, careful planning, and often perilous journeys through active conflict zones or heavily militarized border areas.

Ukrainian officials report that in total, 23 children and teenagers have recently been rescued from occupation. However, the exact number of Ukrainian minors who remain under Russian occupation or who have been transferred to Russia remains difficult to verify, with Ukrainian authorities estimating the figure could be in the thousands.

The reintegration process for those who return presents additional challenges. Many have experienced trauma and will require psychological support, while others need assistance resuming their education after exposure to Russian curriculum and propaganda.

As these two young men begin what Yermak called “a new life in free Ukraine,” their stories represent both individual triumphs and reminders of the ongoing humanitarian costs of the war, which continues with no immediate end in sight as it approaches its third year.