First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the roundtable discussion “Children, Technology and Security: Protecting the Next Generation,” held during the NATO Summit in Ankara.
"While we are defending ourselves against Russia's aggression, the Russians are more and more often trying to recruit our children online for terrorism. Most often, it all begins in places familiar to any child – Telegram, TikTok, Instagram, and in such games like Roblox or Discord, which are played by millions of children around the world. Over the past two years alone, our law enforcement officers have uncovered 325 such cases. Behind every number is someone’s child. The youngest was 11 years old – a boy who, acting on instructions he received online, tried to set fire to the car of a Ukrainian military serviceman," Olena Zelenska said.
The President’s wife stressed that Ukraine is ready to share its experience in countering this threat. According to the First Lady, the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police conduct lectures in schools about the dangers and methods of online recruitment, while the Ministry of Digital Transformation is integrating digital hygiene into the school curriculum. A chatbot is also available that allows children to report suspicious people they encounter online.
"But the main conclusion is simple: every child needs a circle of trust – adults they would want to turn to in a suspicious situation. That is why in Ukraine we are also building a “safety triangle” – teacher, parents, child. Because preventing recruitment begins not with technology, but with an adult who notices in time that a child is lonely," Olena Zelenska said.
In Ankara, the First Lady, together with Türkiye's Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, also visited the children from the Sonechko Specialized Children's Home in Odesa, who, with their caregivers, were evacuated to Türkiye in November 2022.
The children were provided with comfortable living conditions, education, and rehabilitation at a specially established children's home, with all expenses covered by the Turkish side.
Between 2022 and 2026, Ukraine's social protection authorities approved guardianship arrangements for 29 of the children, with the possibility of their future adoption. As a result, they returned to Ukraine, where they were united with their new families.
Five orphaned children and four members of staff who care for them remain at the children's home. The First Lady met with the children and their caregivers.
"I am grateful that, during these difficult years for Ukraine, these children have had the care and hospitality of Türkiye, which has protected them from the dangers of Russia's war and given us the chance to build a better future for them," Olena Zelenska said.