In Kyiv, the documentary “After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home” about children deported by Russia was presented. The event was attended by, among others, Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa, and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Dariia Zarivna.
The film tells the story of Ukrainian children who were deported to the Russian Federation and the efforts to reintegrate them after their return.
The main protagonists are Oleksandra Mezheva and Veronika Vlasova, who were successfully returned home.
“The stories we saw in this film are the very reason for the creation of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. It is also the answer to the question of what our mission looks like. Thousands of children still remain in occupied territories, in Russian institutions, under the influence of Russian propaganda. And it’s the films like this that help to raise awareness about this issue worldwide,” said Dariia Zarivna.
The event also featured remarks by Charlotte Surun, Chargé d’Affaires at the UK Embassy, and Sarah McCarthy, the film’s director.
Representatives of the diplomatic corps, human rights community, government institutions, and the film’s creators also participated in the event.
Thousands of young Ukrainians still remain under the control of the Russian Federation. To date, within the framework of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 1,324 children have been returned.
“The actions of the Russian Federation represent a systematic policy of genocide that it is carrying out against Ukraine. Every day, Ukrainian children are abducted, re-educated, and have their identities destroyed. Every war criminal must be held accountable. Without punishment for the crimes they committed, there can be no peace,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa concluded.
The screening of the film was organized on the initiative of the British Embassy in Ukraine.