A mother and her five children have been rescued from Russian-occupied Crimea after facing threats of persecution for using the Ukrainian language.

Source: Bring Kids Back UA initiative

Details: The Bring Kids Back UA initiative reported that the family is now safely in Ukraine.

Alina (name changed) and her five children had lived in occupied Crimea for over a decade and were all fluent in Ukrainian.

At one point, Russian police inspected Alina’s phone and found messages written in Ukrainian, as well as her subscriptions to Ukrainian news channels.

Officers reportedly told her, “Do you know what happens to people like you? Do you get what waits for you?”

She was threatened with criminal prosecution.

Realising that it was becoming increasingly dangerous to remain in Crimea, Alina decided to take her children and leave. Their escape route passed through several other countries.

The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea helped develop a tailored evacuation plan and arranged for Alina’s entry into government-controlled Ukrainian territory.

The family is now receiving medical, psychological, and legal help. The children are preparing to start school and kindergarten.

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