Two deported teenage girls were returned from Russia to Ukraine: 13-year-old Veronica and 15-year-old Anastasia. They told how they were treated in the aggressor country.
Children from the occupied part of the Luhansk region were taken to Russia by their mother. After the woman's death, the girls ended up in a Russian orphanage, where they were abused.
How the children ended up in Russia
Veronica and Anastasia were taken to Russia by their mother because her brother lived there. However, the family settled in a hostel, and then the woman began to get sick and died due to a stroke. In December 2022, the girls were sent to an orphanage.
13-year-old Veronika was assigned to a Russian school, and 15-year-old Anastasia was in college. The girls said that they suffered from bullying – the Russians treated them very badly because they were Ukrainians.
When they found out that I was from Ukraine, it was hell. I didn't want to go to school. I was insulted. I left for a few days and that was enough for me. There are angry children, very angry, – said Anastasia.
How did they manage to return the girls
During their stay in Russia, the girls kept in touch with their older sister Ekaterina, who settled in the Kolka community of Volyn.
After the death of the mother, the sister decided to urgently take care of the children. The local village council helped the natives of the Lugansk region quickly complete all the documents, as everyone was afraid that underage girls could adopt foster families in Russia. After that, Ekaterina managed to return her sisters.
Now the family lives in the village and is looking for more housing so that everyone is comfortable. Soon the girls will return to studying at a Ukrainian school, but for now remotely.
Reference. As of February 1, 2023, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General, 16,011 Ukrainian children were deported to Russia.
