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

Rostyslav Lavrov’s escape from a Russian naval academy in Crimea was a calculated risk. At 19, he had returned to Kyiv after being detained in occupied territory at 16, when Moscow seized his hometown in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The academy had tried to issue him a new Russian identity document, but Lavrov refused to accept the change. His journey back to Ukraine was part of a larger effort to rescue over 2,000 children and teens stranded in Russia, Belarus, or Russian-occupied areas.

Many of these youths had to flee covertly, as obtaining formal exit permissions from Russian authorities was nearly impossible. Ukraine has sought global support for this mission, forming alliances to pressure Russia into cooperation. However, progress has been slow, with less than a quarter of the 2,000 children returning through official routes. Of these, 83 were aided by Qatar, and 19 by a program led by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.

A Secret Escape from Crimea

Lavrov’s plan had been in motion for three months before he finally walked out of the academy’s gates. He had secretly coordinated with volunteers from Save Ukraine, a group dedicated to rescuing children in Russian-held regions. On a day when he had classes at a different building, he dressed normally and left the dorm, pretending to go to study. “The volunteers were waiting nearby to take me,” he explained to CNN. “I didn’t carry anything, so I wouldn’t draw attention. I stayed calm at checkpoints, even though I was scared.”

He estimated the journey took two days to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory. Later, he learned the Russian authorities had labeled him as “missing and wanted,” indicating they were actively hunting for him. Mykola Kuleba, founder of Save Ukraine and former children’s ombudsman, described the operation as routine. “Each child’s return is like a special mission,” he said, urging CNN to keep details confidential to protect the team.

Kuleba emphasized the group’s strategy: working independently of Russian officials. “We don’t collaborate with them, because any information shared could lead to complications,” he said. According to him, once Moscow learns Ukraine is seeking a child, it will take every measure to stop their return.

The Challenge of Repatriation

Yulia Dvornychenko’s experience mirrored this struggle. She was arrested in 2021 in Torez, an eastern Ukrainian town occupied by pro-Russia separatists since 2014. Separated from her sons, Danylo (17) and Mark (9), she was accused of being a Ukrainian spy. With her partner also detained, she was pressured to sign a false confession to secure her children’s release. Mark was placed in a Russian orphanage, while Danylo fled to Moscow to avoid being conscripted.

After 18 months in a POW exchange, Dvornychenko was released in southern Zaporizhzhia. She immediately began organizing their return, working with the Ukrainian government. Russian authorities first offered Mark’s repatriation as part of the exchange, but Ukraine rejected the condition of requiring her to personally collect him, fearing re-arrest.

Dvornychenko reassured her son during the process, saying tied hands and blindfolds meant he was coming home. “I told him it was how they always brought people back,” she recalled. Despite her efforts, Mark’s fate remained uncertain, highlighting the complexities of Ukraine’s underground rescue efforts.