Daughter of  fallen soldier, whom Russians tried to send to orphanage, brought back to Ukraine

Ukraine has succeeded in bringing back a 14-year-old girl from occupied territory, just one day before she was due to be forcibly sent to a Russian boarding school.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA, a Ukrainian NGO that is involved in bringing children back from the occupied territories 

Details: The 14-year-old Anna lived with her grandmother and older sister in Ukraine’s south. After the full-scale war began, their village came under occupation.

Anna’s father went to defend the homeland and was killed in action in the first months of the full-scale war.

"The Russian guardianship authorities openly pressured the family: the girl was threatened and intimidated, repeatedly told she would be taken away and never see her relatives again.

As the daughter of a Ukrainian serviceman, she was under special surveillance by the occupying authorities," the statement said.

Anna’s escape to Ukraine, where her grandmother on her father’s side awaited her, had been planned for over ten months.

"In July 2025, it became known that Anna was about to be taken to a Russian boarding school, so action had to be swift. There was only one day to arrange documents and plan a safe route. Most importantly, to help the child believe that escape was possible," Bring Kids Back UA said.

Throughout the journey, Anna feared being caught or failing to leave on time. Nevertheless, the girl was reunited with her grandmother in territory controlled by Ukraine.

Now the teenager dreams of the liberation of her home village and of seeing her loved ones who are still there.

Background: At the beginning of August, it was reported that another group of children was brought back from occupied areas.

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