**Ukraine Successfully Returns Four Children from Russian-Occupied Kherson Oblast**
In a New Year’s miracle, Ukraine has successfully returned four children from the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. The initiative was led by “Bring Kids Back UA” and “Save Ukraine,” with the support of Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
The children, two boys and two girls aged 3 to 17, had been abducted from their homes in February 2022. They were subjected to Russian terror, threats, and interrogations of their relatives.
This is not an isolated incident. According to a Ukrainian national database, “Children of War,” at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories since February 2022. Russia’s true numbers are estimated to be much higher, with figures ranging from 150,000 to 300,000.
**Return of Children from Kherson Oblast**
Since the beginning of 2024, at least 246 children native to Kherson Oblast have been returned from Russian occupation, Prokudin announced. The return of these four children is a significant achievement and a testament to Ukraine’s efforts to bring its citizens back home.
**Russia’s Systematic Deportation Program**
A Yale School of Public Health study published on December 3 revealed Russia’s systematic program of deporting and forcibly assimilating Ukrainian children. Under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, children were transported via military aircraft in 2022, reclassified in Russian databases as native-born, and subjected to pro-Russian re-education before being adopted into Russian families.
**Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom**
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized Ukraine’s determination to fight for every day of freedom. “We Ukrainians know what it means not to wait for what tomorrow will bring, but to fight for every single day, and every year of freedom.”
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