child safety

Doctors diagnosed 6-year-old Polina Bidyuk from Starokostyantyniv, Ukraine, with rare Wilkie syndrome, a condition that affects one in a thousand people and prevented her from eating, the First Medical Association of Lviv reported on Nov. 6.

In the spring of 2023, the Ukrainian government enacted a policy for the mandatory evacuation of children from combat zones, a measure long demanded by volunteers involved in civilian rescues. Despite this, nearly every settlement near the front line has parents who refuse to evacuate, putting both themselves and their children at grave risk. A troubling pattern has emerged where some parents lie to and mislead police and other government services. NV journalist Serhiy Okunev visited Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, dodging attacks by FPV drones and witnessing the heroic work of local police as they struggle to save children under dire conditions.