From the temporarily occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, and part of the Kherson region, five children of various ages, from 1.5 to 18 years, were returned to Ukraine-controlled territory, reported the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets. Additionally, according to him, a servicewoman freed from captivity contacted the Ombudsman's office. She asked for help in returning her daughter from the temporarily occupied territories. Now the girl is with her mother. «Finally, families can choose their future independently and feel how Ukraine is restoring their human rights. They will finally receive the necessary medical assistance, be able to get an education, and pursue their own plans», — noted Dmytro Lubinets.
The head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, clarified that the return of the children was achieved with the support of Qatar.
In September last year, with Qatar's mediation, Russia and Ukraine conducted a child exchange. At that time, the Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, claimed that 80 Ukrainian and 13 Russian children were returned to their families. The Ukrainian side, however, claimed that 387 children were returned from over 19,000 illegally taken to Russia.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in the case of «illegal deportation of children» from Ukraine.