Ukraine rescues children from brutal Russian captivity

Ukraine has rescued more children from the temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Those who were freed described the horrific conditions of captivity. The children reportedly endured beatings and electric shocks as a form of cruel torture.

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over two years. Russians continue to commit brutal crimes against civilians. Putin's soldiers do not spare even children's hospitals. From time to time, we report on freed captives who talk about the conditions in Russian captivity. In recent days, Ukraine has also managed to recover abducted citizens.

The Russians on the temporarily occupied territories detain, beat, use electric shocks, exert psychological pressure on adults and interrogate children without their parents’ presence and torture them as well. They also regularly conduct groundless searches in the homes of local residents, quoted the portal "Pravda" of Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.

The Commissioner noted that the family of the released individuals reported that Russians forced them to obtain Russian citizenship in the occupied territories. Without such a document, people could not access social benefits or seek medical care.

Doctors don't even accept children with congenital disorders who need thorough care. However, parents are proposed to send their children for 'rehabilitation', which is often deportation or forced displacement., says Lubinets.

The Commissioner also emphasised that children are forced to attend Russian schools. In this way, the idea of the "Russian world" is promoted, including the superiority of Russian Orthodoxy, culture, and language.

Currently, the children are safe. They are in the Centre for Child Protection, and a team of specialists has talked to them and documented the crimes committed by Russians.