Save Ukraine US

06/18/2026

“I woke up to an alarm clock. I started getting ready for school. Then my mom called and said the war had started.”

This is how Ihor’s diary begins. He was 14 when russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Most teenagers write about school, friends, or plans for the future. Ihor’s diary became a record of surviving the siege of Mariupol.

Its pages tell the story of a child living through things no child should ever experience: freezing basements, rainwater collected for cooking, and the struggle to survive another day as the city was being destroyed around him.

When Mariupol fell, Ihor kept the diary. For years, he remained trapped under russian occupation.

With the support of Save Ukraine and our partners We Are All Ukrainians, led by Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel, and Doerte Kruppa, Ihor was eventually able to leave occupied territory and rebuild his life in safety.

Today, the diary he carried out of Mariupol is more than a personal memory. It is a witness to what Ukrainian children endured — and what many still endure under occupation.

Watch Ihor’s story and hear the memories behind its pages.

Share this video to help more people understand why every rescue matters.

06/15/2026

27 children and teenagers were rescued from occupation by Save Ukraine last week. This became possible thanks to the support of our partners within the framework of the President of Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of them endured pressure, intimidation, and attempts at re-education, but today, that is finally behind them.

🔹 17-year-old Dmytro attended a school where russian soldiers dressed in Ukrainian uniforms and terrified children with threats of ex*****on. Despite having serious heart problems, he was forced to register for military service.

🔹 17-year-old Angelina suffered several concussions caused by repeated shelling. She was forced to attend a russian school because the occupiers threatened to send her to a boarding school otherwise. There, children were taught how to assemble assault rifles and told that "russia is here forever."

🔹 14-year-old Andrii comes from a village that russian forces turned into a massive military base. Schoolchildren were told that NATO and Ukraine had attacked russia and were openly prepared for war, learning at training grounds how to dig trenches, shoot weapons, and throw grenades.

For these children, and 24 others, occupation is now in the past. Today, they are recovering in our Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive comprehensive psychological support, assistance with documents, and a safe place to live as they begin a new chapter of their lives.

Yet thousands of children remain trapped, forced to forget their roots and openly prepared for war. But we will not stop.

🙏🏻 We are deeply grateful to our partners Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, Humanity and the Joint Center for Coordination of Search and Release Efforts - together, we are bringing Ukrainian children home.

Thanks to Save Ukraine, more than 1,300 children are already back home.

06/12/2026

Latvia has stepped forward to support the rescue of Ukrainian children abducted to russia and trapped in temporarily occupied territories 🇱🇻🇺🇦

This funding will help Save Ukraine expand rescue missions and bring more children safely back home to their families and communities.

We are deeply grateful to the Government of Latvia for turning solidarity into action.

🙏 Paldies Latvijas tautai, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia un Embassy of Latvia in Ukraine/ Посольство Латвійської Республіки в Україні par Jūsu atbalstu un uzticību. Katram bērnam ir tiesības uz dzīvi savā zemē, savās mājās.

06/12/2026

Do children’s hardships end once the explosions fade away? Of course not.

The consequences of what they have endured remain with them for a long time. Anxiety, constant fear, and a loss of trust in adults and in the world around them become daily companions for children and teenagers who have witnessed shelling.

That is why Save Ukraine has launched a new comprehensive support project for children and families affected by the war through its Community Centers.

Since May, the program has been operating in Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Children receive psychological support through both group and individual sessions. Evacuated families with children will be able to find temporary shelter in two accommodation facilities that we are renovating as part of the project, while different categories of vulnerable people will receive humanitarian assistance in the form of hygiene kits.

The first results are already visible. In May, 10 children in Mykolaiv completed the “Healing the Wounds of the Soul” program. In a safe and supportive environment, they are learning to talk about their feelings, cope with fear and anxiety, rebuild trust in themselves and others, and find the strength to make plans for the future despite the hardships they have endured.

Starting in July, the project will expand to include two Community Centers in Kharkiv, as well as centers in Kryvyi Rih, Pivdenne, and an additional center in Zaporizhzhia.

** This publication and the assistance described in it were made possible through the generous support of the Government of the United States of America in cooperation with Polska Akcja Humanitarna (PAH). Save Ukraine bears sole responsibility for the content of this publication, which does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government.

06/10/2026

When a gun was pressed to her head, Iryna wasn’t thinking about herself — she was thinking about the children waiting for her at home. Under occupation, Iryna endured unlawful detention, psychological pressure, and direct threats. But she held on. She managed to escape together with her children. Yet even after the danger was behind them, the fear didn’t go away.

Even in a safe place, she lived with constant anxiety. Her sleep was light and restless, her body remained tense, and any sudden sound could pull her back into what she had lived through. Iryna tried to stay strong for her children, but emotional exhaustion gradually drained the strength she needed to care for them — and for herself.

A turning point came through her work with Svitlana, a psychologist at the Save Ukraine center. During one-on-one sessions, Iryna was able, for the first time, to speak openly about her experience without fear or judgment. Step by step, she learned to cope with anxiety, understand her emotions, and regain a sense of control over her life.

Today, Iryna feels much more confident. She sleeps better and has more strength — for herself and for her children. Most importantly, she has regained a feeling that the future can be planned again.

Iryna’s story is one of many we hear from women who have lived through war, occupation, the loss of home, and forced displacement. Often, after everything they’ve endured, they focus so intensely on survival and caring for loved ones that they stop noticing their own needs.

That is why Save Ukraine, together with , created the project “Comprehensive Psychological Support for Women and Girls Affected by the War.”

Participants receive individual psychological counseling and take part in art therapy sessions, support groups, creative activities, and more. We aim to help women and girls not only overcome the effects of traumatic experiences, but also reconnect with themselves, find new sources of support, rediscover the joy of connection, and regain confidence in their own strength. Because even in times of war, a woman has the right not only to survive — but to live.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the support provided by Florian Rehm and the MAST entrepreneurial family, who supported this project through the MAST Foundations.

Tatjana Kiel Dörte Kruppa

06/09/2026

Some mothers cross oceans for their children. Ukrainian mothers crossed occupied territory, russian checkpoints, threats, and fear.

Last week, their stories were brought to the stage of the National Opera of Ukraine during the premiere of Mothers of Kherson, created by Peter Gelb and Keri-Lynn Wilson of the The Metropolitan Opera.

The opera is based on the real experiences of Ukrainian mothers whose children were taken by russia and sent to so-called “re-education” camps.

One of those mothers attended the premiere with her son, whom Save Ukraine helped bring home from a camp in occupied Crimea. They were joined by other rescued teenagers and families from different parts of Ukraine whose experiences are reflected in the production.

We are grateful to Peter Gelb, Keri-Lynn Wilson, and the entire Mothers of Kherson team for helping share these stories with audiences around the world. Through art, they are bringing attention to the experiences of Ukrainian families and the resilience of mothers who refused to give up on their children.

Because no child should be separated from their family, their home, and their country.

Watch the video and help more people hear their stories.

06/08/2026

15 children and teenagers were rescued from occupation by the Save Ukraine team last week. This became possible thanks to the support of partners within the framework of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of them lived through constant pressure, threats, and fear, but today that is finally behind them.

Among those rescued:

🔹 19-year-old Myron, whose home was searched by FSB officers because he refused to attend a russian school. To avoid being drafted into the enemy army, he had to enroll in a college. However, the russians still interrogated him several times and pressured him to sign a military contract.

🔹 18-year-old Kateryna, who continued studying secretly in a Ukrainian online school the entire time, even though she had to search for a stable connection for every class. Several times, armed soldiers came to their home, searched the entire house, and confiscated her father’s car.

🔹 18-year-old Oleksandr, who openly argued with the “teachers” at his russian school. During so-called “anti-terrorist exercises,” children were forced to lie face down on the floor at gunpoint and were taught that it is better to obey people with weapons. After receiving another draft notice from the enemy, he decided to leave occupation.

For these and 12 other children, occupation is now in the past. Today, they are recovering in our Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive comprehensive psychological support, assistance with restoring documents, safe and comfortable housing, and the opportunity to start a new life.

However, thousands of children still remain trapped, where they are forced to forget their roots and are openly prepared for war. But we do not stop.

🙏🏻 We thank our partners Klitschko, Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, and the Joint Center for Coordination of Search and Release Efforts — together, we are bringing Ukrainian children home.

Thanks to Save Ukraine, more than 1,300 children are already home.

06/06/2026

“Ukrainian children must not be a bargaining chip.”

In a new opinion piece for Al Jazeera English, Tatiana Vorozhko explores one of the most devastating consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine — the forced transfer of more than 20,000 children and the struggle to bring them back.

From documented cases of deportation and indoctrination to the legal obligations Russia continues to violate, the article shows how this is not an isolated tragedy but a systemic crime. It also highlights the urgent need for stronger international pressure, accountability mechanisms, and coordinated action to reunite children with their families.

🔗Read the full analysis

Russia must face more pressure to fulfil its legal obligations to return the Ukrainian children.

06/05/2026

90 CMBM facilitators have been trained — and starting in July, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine will launch in every Save Ukraine service across the country.

Two weeks of intensive training have been completed, and participants from different regions of Ukraine are leaving the Radisson Blu Hotel with international CMBM certificates — and, more importantly, with practical tools that will soon be put into action in their communities.

💙 On July 3, Mind-Body Medicine groups will launch in Save Ukraine day centers, children's camps, and other services across the country. Groups of 8–10 participants will be available for both children and adults. For children evacuated from occupied territories, rescued from captivity, and internally displaced, this will become a mandatory part of the recovery program alongside other activities.

🌟 The new facilitators will work under the guidance of the CMBM supervisor team, who will monitor the quality of the work and help the groups continue to grow and expand.

At the end of the training, Mykola Kuleba visited the participants and heard something that inspires us to keep moving forward: despite the intensive workload over the two weeks, people left feeling impressed, satisfied, and ready to share their knowledge with those who need it most.

See how it all happened in the video below👇🏻

06/01/2026

Yesterday, hundreds of children and families gathered in Irpin for the “Ambassador of Childhood” Festival — a reminder that protecting childhood must remain a priority even in the midst of war.

The idea for this event was born in March 2022 on an evacuation train, during one of the darkest moments of russia’s full-scale invasion. Its purpose was simple but powerful: to create spaces where children can feel safe, supported, and free to be children again.

At the Save Ukraine location, children explored virtual worlds through VR technology, learned coding through Minecraft, participated in creative workshops, and joined interactive activities led by our Early Intervention specialists. While these activities may look like play, they are also an important part of helping children rebuild confidence, social connections, and a sense of normalcy after traumatic experiences.

For organizations working with war-affected children, recovery is not limited to counseling sessions or crisis interventions. It also happens through safe environments, positive experiences, and opportunities to simply enjoy childhood.

Our participation in the festival was made possible through our partnership with Humaniti, whose support helps create recovery-focused spaces for children and families across Ukraine.

We are grateful to the city of Irpin for supporting this initiative and to every family who joined us. Every opportunity for a child to laugh, learn, create, and connect is an investment in their recovery and future.