14-year-old Yulia and her mother left the occupation in Kherson region 2 years later – when her brother returned from captivity

As soon as Roman* was released as a prisoner of war, he rushed to rescue his younger sister and mother from the occupation in Kherson region. The family was reunited after two long years, with the help of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, and theHelping to Leave charity organization.

Shortly after the large-scale invasion, Yulina’s* older brother, a soldier, was taken prisoner. The then 12-year-old girl and her mother remained in the occupied Kherson region, unable to leave.

Two long years of separation followed.

Yulia studied at school under the Russian program. Her mother worked as a handyman. There was hardly enough money to live on. According to the woman, she survived with her child with the help of friends.

The village was patrolled by the police of the occupation authorities. Russian soldiers settled in the empty houses, whose residents had left to escape the war. At any moment, unwanted “guests” could visit the woman and her daughter. Most of the villagers lived in fear.

…In early 2024, my brother Roman returned to the territory of free Ukraine as part of a prisoner of war exchange. He immediately turned to us with a request to help him take his sister and mother out of the part of Kherson region temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government.

Late tonight, the train with them arrives in Kyiv. Yulia, Roman and their mother will be together again. They will go to Mykolaiv region to their relatives to recover and start a new life.

*The names of the heroes of the post have been changed for the safety of their families.

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“The Way Home” is a project aimed at finding and returning children displaced to the Russian Federation or to the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine, as well as reuniting families whose children are without parents during the occupation. The project is implemented by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network in partnership with the international humanitarian organization Save the Children in Ukraine.

Our other partners are: Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, EDUKIDS Charitable Foundation, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine.

Join the Way Home project and make a contribution to the return of children, as it requires considerable resources.

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The materials developed within the project do not necessarily reflect the official position of Save the Children.