Russian soldiers forcibly entered Vlad Rudenko’s home and abducted him when he was just 16. There was no note left for his mother, no phone call — just a bus full of Ukrainian children and a border stamp with no return date. Vlad, who was eventually brought back from Russia, shared his story with Christianity Today. When Vlad and other abducted kids arrived at the Russian "summer camp," they were treated like prisoners. Forced to forget they were Ukrainian, they stood daily under the Russian flag, fed propaganda, and told their Ukrainian identity no longer existed

“Mom, can I speak Ukrainian here?” — that was the first thing Stas said when he finally found himself in safety. He’s 12 years old. His eyes are kind, his voice tired. But he still stutters slightly when he remembers school under occupation.⬇️ A school where the Russian national anthem played every morning. Where children were taught how to assemble drones and rifles, and were encouraged to bully anyone who expressed pro-Ukrainian views. One day, during a school assembly in front of all students and teachers, they showed a video filmed by FSB officers during a search of Stas’ home. Russian soldiers trashed their house, broke nearly all the furniture, and accused his mother of alcoholism.⬇️

Another nine Ukrainian children have been safely brought back from Russian-occupied territories, thanks to the efforts of our Save Ukraine team and with the support of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. This rescue mission was particularly challenging.⬇️ 🔹 Among those returned is 14-year-old Dmytro. Near his home, Russian forces had installed a machine gun post, which created a constant sense of fear for his family. At school, he was made to sing Russian military songs and participate in defense-related classes that included handling weapons. Some classmates had been taken to military camps in Russia, where they were given basic training.⬇️

The so-called head of the occupied Kherson Region, Volodymyr Saldo, announced plans to "evacuate" children on mandatory bases from flooded villages and relocate them to summer camps within the region or in Crimea. Once again, Russians manipulate human tragedy. They deport Ukrainian children under the pretext of ‘rescue,’ separating them from their parents and using them as human shields for human rights abuses.

@SaveukraineUs team came under fire from Russian forces while rescuing victims of the flooding in the Kherson region. Russian shells targeted the area where brave lifesavers and the victims had gathered during the evacuation. Luckily, our team managed to reach the shelter in time Our team's dedication to helping the residents of Kherson remains unwavering. Tomorrow they will resume their crucial work, striving to provide aid and support to those affected by the Kakhovka dam destruction.

The @SaveukraineUs team has successfully brought back another 12 Ukrainian children who were taken to Russian territory. This rescue mission was challenging, but we are committed to bringing every Ukrainian child home. Unfortunately, 17-year-old Denis was unable to return to Ukraine. Russian authorities detained his godmother, Olga, confiscating her documents and phone. She endured two days of interrogation and threats of imprisonment. Tragically, Olga was not allowed to bring her godson home.

A delegation of foreign educators, including representatives from the Education International, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Polish Teachers' Union, visited our day centers and the Hope and Healing Center in Kyiv. The American and European guests had the opportunity to witness firsthand how we educate our students, learn about our development programs, and gain insights into the work of the @SaveukraineUs.

We are pleased to see the international community taking another step towards recognizing Russia's crimes. The recent report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the forced displacement and deportation of our children is another victory for Ukraine The report clearly states that the Kremlin authorities have violated numerous international norms, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We cannot allow such actions to go unpunished.

@SaveukraineUs welcomed guests from Utah (USA) in one of our Hope and Healing centers. The American delegation, which included representatives of agribusiness, financial institutions, and humanitarian organizations, came to support us and get acquainted with our work. Among the guests were former U.S. military officers who have a deep understanding of the situation Ukraine is facing and are committed to helping restore the country.

This morning, residents of Polohy, Tokmak, Molochansk, Oleksiivka, Melitopol, and Enerhodar reported that forced evacuations have begun on the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region. This has already been officially confirmed by the so-called "governor of the Zaporizhzhia region" Yevhen Balitsky.Schools and kindergartens were ordered to urgently pack up and "save" children from the alleged "danger." Melitopol schools announced a long weekend from May 6 to 10.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized the deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation as genocide and officially confirmed the involvement of Putin and his ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova in this crime.

Photo: twitter/ President of Ireland The self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, was also recognized as an accomplice.

This PACE resolution is extremely important, because it uses the word "genocide" for the first time (!) since the beginning of the war in Ukraine to designate

Today is International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and the Dignity of Victims The world pays tribute to those who have suffered gross and systematic human rights violations and calls for an end to violence.

17 Ukrainian children deported by Russia to its territory are finally in Ukraine. Today, we are again experiencing touching moments when children return to their native land. They are tired from the journey and prolonged stress but happy to be home in their homeland.

Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Lvova-Belova started this week by confessing to war crimes again. She told Solovyev Live TV channel that she had deported children from Ukrainian orphanages to Russia. She also said that they had placed 380 Ukrainian children in "loving families" in 19 regions of Russia.