Two teenage sisters have not seen their mother for almost two years: Ukraine brings them back from Russian occupation

Two teenage young ladies who had lived under Russian occupation for almost two years have been brought back to Ukraine-controlled territory.

Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories

Details: The children lived with their grandparents in a small village in Luhansk Oblast when the large-scale invasion began. Their mother worked in the city nearby. The Russians occupied the village at the beginning of the full-scale war, so she could not take her daughters out immediately.

The ministry added that the young ladies were forced to study at school using the Russian curriculum throughout 2022, as they had no other choice. Later, the Russian occupying authorities started putting pressure on the girls’ grandparents. They threatened them and insisted on registering custody of their granddaughters in accordance with the Russian procedure.

However, the children were eager to reunite with their mother.

"Two teenage young ladies could not see their mother for almost two years because of the war. Today, they finally reunited. The Ministry of Reintegration and the Ukrainian Child Rights Network NGO helped to move the sisters from the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk Oblast.

They have finally reunited with their mother and are now safe," the post reads.

The Ministry of Reintegration stressed that if you witness the illegal transfer of children to the temporarily occupied territory or the territory of the Russian Federation, be sure to report it to the department's specialist, Nataliia Yemets, by calling (050) 562-03-13.

You can also contact the National Information Bureau hotline: 16-48.

Background: A child who had been in the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Zaporizhzhia Oblast for almost two years has been brought back to Ukraine-controlled territory.

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