Inside the ‘underground railroad’ Ukraine is using to bring back children from Russia

Inside the ‘underground railroad’ Ukraine is using to bring back children from Russia

A Secret Journey from Crimea

Rostyslav Lavrov’s fate changed in October 2023 when he made a daring move to leave the Russian naval academy in occupied Crimea. At 19, he had been detained since 16, after Moscow seized his hometown in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The academy attempted to issue him a new Russian birth certificate, aiming to erase his Ukrainian identity. But Lavrov refused to let his past be rewritten. With careful planning, he slipped out of the dormitory, beginning a covert path back to Kyiv.

Now in Ukraine, Lavrov is one of approximately 2,000 children and adolescents who have fled Russia, Belarus, or Russian-controlled areas. Most of them, like him, had to depart in secret because obtaining formal exit permits from Russia was nearly impossible. This clandestine movement has become a vital lifeline for families desperate to reclaim their children.

Ukraine’s Rescue Efforts

Despite international pressure, Ukraine’s efforts to recover its youth have faced challenges. Less than a quarter of the returned children came through official routes. Of those, 83 were aided by Qatar, while 19 were helped via a program led by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. For many, the escape required months of preparation and trust in underground networks.

Lavrov’s operation was orchestrated by volunteers from Save Ukraine, a group dedicated to rescuing children trapped in Russia and occupied territories. He chose a day with classes held elsewhere, donning his uniform to appear routine. “I acted as if I were going to study,” he said to CNN. “I didn’t take anything with me to avoid suspicion. I was nervous at the checkpoints, but I kept my composure.” The journey, he estimates, took around two days, though the risks were greater than he realized—Russian authorities had marked him as “missing and wanted.”

The Hidden Risks of Escape

Mykola Kuleba, Save Ukraine’s founder and former children’s ombudsman, described Lavrov’s escape as representative of the broader effort. “Each child’s return is like a special operation,” he told CNN, emphasizing the need for secrecy. The group avoids collaboration with Russian officials, as sharing information could lead to complications. Kuleba claimed that once Moscow identifies a target, it will go to great lengths to stop their return.

A Mother’s Struggle

Yulia Dvornychenko’s ordeal began in 2021 when she was arrested in Torez, an eastern Ukrainian town under pro-Russian separatist control since 2014. Accused of being a Ukrainian spy, she was separated from her sons, Danylo (17) and Mark (9), and faced pressure to confess falsely. Her partner was detained too, and she was told her children would be sent to a Russian orphanage if she didn’t sign a false statement—something she ultimately agreed to.

After an 18-month POW exchange, Dvornychenko was released but found herself in a race to reunite with her sons. Mark had been living with a family friend, while Danylo had fled to Moscow to avoid military service. When the time came for Mark’s return, Russian authorities demanded Dvornychenko personally retrieve him, a condition Ukraine rejected to prevent her from being re-arrested. “I told him being blindfolded meant he was coming home,” she recalled, highlighting the emotional toll of the struggle.