Two girls from the temporarily occupied territories returned to their families

On November 27, two Ukrainian girls, 6-year-old Maria and 14-year-old Veronika, were returned to Ukraine from the temporarily occupied territories.

Mary’s story

6-year-old Maria lived with her grandparents in a village in the occupied Donetsk region. After her grandmother died, she was left in the care of her grandfather, who was afraid that the occupation authorities might take the girl away. The grandfather realized that the only chance for Maria’s survival was evacuation.

Together with the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, we coordinated her safe transfer to Ukraine. Today Maria has finally been reunited with her mother and younger brother.

Veronika’s story

Veronika lost both her parents at the age of 7 and was placed in foster care in the Kherson region. In 2022, the Russian occupation of her village brought numerous challenges. Constant stress negatively affected her health, and interruptions in communication and electricity made it impossible for her to study.

The guardian decided that the best solution would be to move the girl to her grandmother in Kryvyi Rih, where she could recover and continue her studies. Today, Veronika is safe and ready to start a new phase in her life.

These returns were made possible thanks to the cooperation of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit, and the support of our international partners, including Save Ukraine and the Ukrainian National Center for Peacebuilding, within the framework of the “Way Home: A New Route” project.

We will continue to work tirelessly to bring all Ukrainian children home.

P.S. All personal data of the families has been changed for security reasons.

The Ukrainian Child Rights Network (UCRN), in partnership with SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit Hermann-Gmeiner-Fonds Deutschland e.V., is implementing the project of return and support for deported children and youth “The Way Home: A New Route”