Six more children successfully evacuated from occupied Kherson Oblast to Ukrainian-controlled territory
In total, 224 children have been evacuated from occupied territories by volunteers, where they were subjected to forced integration into the "Russian world" through propaganda and education.
Six children have been successfully evacuated from Russian-occupied territories in the Kherson region to Ukrainian-controlled areas, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration.
The evacuation effort is crucial to save children, in particular orphans or those whose caretakers are not able to leave the occupied territory themselves. Russian propaganda, in particular in schools, is specifically focused on the militarization of children and their preparation for future wars against Ukraine and Europe.
The rescued group includes two girls and four boys, aged between 8 and 16 years. Among those evacuated was a girl under legal guardianship who was brought to safety along with her adult brother.
“Six more families are finally in Ukrainian-controlled territory. Volunteers managed to return six children from the temporarily occupied left bank of the region,” Prokudin stated. The rescue operation was conducted by the “Save Ukraine” organization.
The children had been subjected to forced attendance at “Russian schools,” which Prokudin described as centers of enemy propaganda rather than educational institutions. Their evacuation will allow them to “forget about the horrors they experienced,” he added.
This latest rescue operation contributes to a larger evacuation effort in the Kherson region. Prokudin revealed that 224 children have been successfully evacuated from occupied territories in the region during the first ten months of 2024.
Russian occupying forces in the Kherson region have reportedly focused significant efforts on children and youth, attempting forced integration into the “Russian world” through various propaganda measures.
Ukrainian forces liberated the west-bank part of the Kherson region, including Kherson city, in autumn 2022. The east-bank portion of the region remains under Russian occupation. Russian authorities have been accused of implementing systematic programs targeting Ukrainian children in occupied territories.
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