The group included three children and a young man with disabilities, illegally removed by Russians from the Oleshky Children’s Orphanage in Kherson Oblast, first to the temporarily occupied territory and then to Russia.
These children had been separated from their families for an extended period, unable to leave due to dangerous conditions.
Qatar acted as a mediator in facilitating their return, Yermak noted.
Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also commented on the repatriation, stating, “We’ve brought home three more children and one person with disabilities from temporarily occupied territories and Russia. Tears of joy, long-awaited reunions, and the heartfelt word ‘home’—this is what we work for every day.” He shared a video of the event.
On June 27, The Guardian reported that a Yale University research team estimated approximately 35,000 Ukrainian children, considered missing, may be held in Russia or on temporarily occupied territories.
According to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 1,560 children have been returned to Ukraine so far.