- A group called Save Ukraine has a team of about 30 people working to find and rescue children taken to Russia
- Some children are reportedly put in "re-education" programmes where they are exposed to pro-Russian views
- Ukraine has identified around 20,000 children who were taken to Russia, Belarus or Russian-occupied areas
Ukraine is running a high-risk rescue network, known as an "underground railroad", to bring back children it says were taken to Russia and subjected to indoctrination during the war.
Ukraine has identified around 20,000 children who were taken to Russia, Belarus or Russian-occupied areas without proper consent. Many of these children were placed in camps, institutions, or even adopted by Russian families, authorities from the war-torn nation said.
Some children are reportedly put in "re-education" programmes where they are exposed to pro-Russian views, according to CNN.
"These kids are growing up and being poisoned by propaganda. Many of them have been brainwashed, and it's really hard to convince them that no, there are no Nazis in Ukraine," said Mykola Kuleba, a Ukrainian ombudsman.
Each attempt to bring back a Ukrainian child from Russia is treated as a high-risk, carefully planned mission, Kuleba said. Describing it as a "special operation" for every child, he noted that details are deliberately kept secret to avoid putting lives at risk. The team also avoids any direct contact with Russian or occupation authorities.
A group called Save Ukraine has a team of about 30 people working to find and rescue children taken to Russia. The group interviews children who have already returned to gather information about others they may have encountered. They also rely on open-source intelligence and social media outreach on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
"We have been waiting for an official mechanism for years so we have to do it unofficially. We built an underground railroad to find and rescue these kids. As of the end of February, we had brought back 1,162 Ukrainian children," said Kuleba.
Speaking to CNN, Darya Kasyanova said that every rescue mission to bring children back from Crimea is carefully planned. She said both the children and the rescue teams face danger during these operations.
A 19-year-old Ukrainian, who used the name Taras to protect his identity and recently reached safer parts of Ukraine, said many children and teenagers living under Russia's control are exposed to constant pro-Russian messaging.
He claimed that in some schools, children are being trained in a military-style environment. According to him, they are taught how to handle weapons, wear uniforms, and take part in drills, almost like basic military training.
Ukraine's human rights official, Dmytro Lubinets, says that over 1.6 million Ukrainian children are currently living in areas controlled by Russia. He claims these children are required to go to Russian-run schools and strongly promote Russian views.
