Your donation today can help return more children like Serhii to safety and care
Seventeen-year-old Serhii survived interrogations by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) that left him prone to panic attacks. He lived through drone attacks and shelling in a combat zone. When a shell destroyed his home, his family moved in with strangers. He studied secretly at a Ukrainian school through his mobile phone, constantly terrified Russian soldiers would discover the content and torture him.
At checkpoints in his temporarily occupied hometown, Russian troops mocked him as a “zhdun”—someone who is waiting for Ukraine’s return —because he refused a Russian passport. When forced military conscription intensified near his 17th birthday, Serhii knew his time was running out.
That’s when Save Ukraine stepped in.
Our partner, Save Ukraine, rescues children from Russian-occupied territories and Russia itself. Every rescue operation is unique. Every child’s situation demands a different approach. For Serhii, it meant carefully coordinating safe passage across multiple borders while he carried the emotional trauma of three years under temporary occupation.
Save Ukraine’s team works tirelessly to navigate the complex, dangerous logistics of each rescue. They understand that children like Serhii aren’t statistics. They’re teenagers who’ve been stripped of their childhood, forced into Russian schools, threatened with military service, and deeply traumatized by occupation.
The work is painstaking. Each rescue requires extensive planning, secure communication, safe houses, and expertise in navigating hostile territory. No two cases are the same.
Right now, children like Serhii still remain trapped and urgently need your help. Some are hiding to avoid forced conscription. Others have been separated from their families or are being subjected to indoctrination in Russian schools. With each passing day, their safety—and their future—is at greater risk.
Our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign ends in 48 hours. Your support funds these life-saving operations—the coordination, safe houses and careful planning that brings children home to safety, as well as the long-term psychological rehabilitation and care they need once they return. Serhii’s story shows what your generosity can accomplish.
About us
Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.