Reintegration Ministry: Ukraine brings home 17-year-old boy from Russian-occupied territory
Ukraine brought back a 17-year-old boy, Denys, from Russian-held territories in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Reintegration Ministry reported on May 15.
Over 19,500 children have been confirmed abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and less than 400 of them have been brought back home, according to the Children of War database.
The Reintegration Ministry brought the boy back in cooperation with the non-governmental union Ukrainian Child Rights Network.
Denys is an orphan. He had been living in the Russian-occupied territories under the supervision of his neighbor and searching for options to move to Ukraine-controlled territory since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the ministry's statement.
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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko
Denys's aunt previously appealed to the ministry to help in bringing the boy back. Currently, Denys lives under his aunt's guardianship.
The boy will soon head to the rehabilitation center in the city of Truskavets in Lviv Oblast for further recovery, the ministry said.
The day before, Ukraine rescued six children from Russian-occupied territories in Kherson Oblast.
A total of 84 children have been reportedly brought back from Russian-occupied territory in Kherson Oblast since the beginning of 2024.
Read also: Ombudsman: Children in occupied Ukraine ‘forced to make trench candles’
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