Yermak shared the story of 12 Ukrainian children rescued from occupation, who suffered the loss of loved ones and endured forced Russification.

Ukraine has successfully brought home 12 children who were under Russian occupation. This achievement was made possible by the initiative Bring Kids Back UA. Andriy Yermak, the head of the President's Office, stated that the support from international partners was crucial for this operation.

He shared this information on his Telegram account. Yermak also noted that the children faced severe hardships during the occupation.

Among the rescued children is a 16-year-old girl who lost her mother due to the negligence of the occupying medical services, a 17-year-old boy who received a draft notice for service in the Russian army, as well as children who fell victim to efforts of Russification through "re-education camps." Notably, there is also an 8-year-old girl who was attempted to be taken from her father due to his refusal of Russian citizenship.

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to our partners Save Ukraine for their professional work and dedicated assistance in organizing the rescue mission. Every rescued child is a victory. We continue to fulfill the President's mission - to bring all children home to Ukraine," Yermak emphasized.

This operation is a continuation of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. It is worth noting that on January 28, Ukraine managed to return five more children from temporarily occupied territories. Thus, two minors, siblings Anton and Inna, who had lived their entire lives under occupation, were brought back to Ukraine. Their city was captured by Russians back in 2014. Their father was killed, and their mother lost parental rights. It was their grandmother who took the children to Russia at the onset of the full-scale war, fearing shelling.

As of January 2025, 1037 illegally deported Ukrainian children have been successfully returned from Russia. The aggressor country alters the names and places of birth of the kidnapped or deported children from Ukraine. According to Daria Zarivna, the operational director of the President of Ukraine's initiative Bring Kids Back UA, there are between one million to one and a half million children in temporarily occupied territories.