A young Ukrainian individual, now speaking out, recounts their experience of being readied for war within a Russian military camp.

In the heart of Europe, a humanitarian crisis unfolds as thousands of Ukrainian children find themselves in the midst of conflict, taken into Russian territory.

One such teenager is Katya, a 16-year-old girl who was living with foster parents in the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in 2023. Her life took a drastic turn when she was taken to a military camp inside Russian territory, where both Russian and Ukrainian teenagers were present.

Katya was one of thousands of Ukrainian children estimated to have been taken into Russia since the invasion of Feb. 24, 2022. The Ukrainians in the camp were forbidden from speaking Ukrainian or expressing their identity, and were told they were being trained to fight for the Russian army.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children's rights, in 2023 for allegedly committing the war crimes of unlawful deportation of population (children) and unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

President Trump delivered a letter from first lady Melania Trump, calling for the protection of children, during the Alaska Summit with Vladimir Putin. However, the letter did not specifically mention Ukrainian children taken into Russia.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the subject of Ukrainian children who have been taken into Russia during his meeting with European leaders and the U.S. President last month. He described the issue as a central part of the war's humanitarian tragedy.

Natalia Savchenko, a Ukrainian official, expressed hope that diplomatic efforts would change the future of the children, but also emphasized the importance of continuing rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts.

Over 1,500 children have been rescued from Russia, with almost half of those facilitated by Save Ukraine. Katja was supported and helped by the organization Netzwerk Schweiz - Transkarpatien / Ukraine (NeSTU) to return to Ukrainian territory after her weeks-long captivity in a Russian military camp.

Russia denies kidnapping the children and claims it evacuated them for humanitarian reasons. President Trump expressed hope that the world would work together to solve the issue and bring the children home to their families.

The discussion about Ukrainian children should be prioritized before discussions about lands, as children are the future and the issue is not political but humanitarian. More than 19,500 children have been abducted or forcibly displaced into Russia since the invasion, making it crucial that efforts are intensified to ensure their safe return.

This report was contributed to by Natalia Kushnir and Natalia Popova.