Ukrainian Military Medic Reunited With Daughter Who Was Taken To Russia

Ukrainian combat medic Oksana Lebedenko lost contact with her 11-year-old daughter Yeva after Russian forces occupied her hometown of Vovchansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Lebedenko later discovered that her pro-Russian brother had taken her daughter to Russia without permission.
Originally published at - www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-r...
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[@tsogobauggi8721]

When our own family betrays you, it is the most saddest thing. :(

[@misty5979]

Yes it is F-sad

[@666blondi3]

😭😭

[@midsue]

Agree 😥

[@c.erine78]

Yes, I know the tremendous heartbreak, sadly...

[@MikeOxlong-]

Worse when it involves ruZZia, as they don’t follow any international laws whatsoever…

[@tsogobauggi8721]

A big warm imaginary hug for this sad girl. May now good things flow to her and drive the dark memories away.

[@c.erine78]

Thank goodness they were re-united! I hope all the children taken by from Ukraine will be returned to their families.

[@user-hh9rp7pu5f]

Это враньё.

[@fidem15893]

Hearthbreaking. The eyes of this girl say all.

[@axcx5951]

It’s heartbreaking when You think about all those children taken to Russia without their parents knowledge…

[@MikeOxlong-]

And the 500k-1mil+ others who were forcefully deported there without papers, and sent to the far reaches of Siberia and the Far East, never to be heard from again… I have heard very few stories about those who’ve escaped, but most will never as they’ve been basically sold into slavery and are in the woods in the middle of nowhere, with next to no chance of being able to make a break for it (since there’s nowhere they could go on foot and survive the travel)…

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Some say it is as high as 2 million people forcibly removed to Russia, there were 90,000 just from Mariupol alone.

[@RuleofFive]

This is heartbreaking. I'm so happy they're back together. This unnecessary war has ruined the lives of so many people.

[@greystone2594]

Shows how this vile, stupid war has pitted family members against each other. I hope every 'relocated' child is reunited with their parents again.

[@skyhappy]

It hasn't pitted family members against each other any more than exposing the good from the bad.

[@seratonin7004]

@Sab S that's very black and white thinking. There's a lot of grey.

[@skyhappy]

@@seratonin7004 ok explain how there's grey in a country attacking and invading another country for the past 8 years

[@daneaxe6465]

You don't need war for families to get violent with each other.

[@pepijykyum]

@@skyhappy yes, it's exposing everyone.

[@lornamorgan3575]

Yeva's eyes are so sad. To be betrayed by family. To not be able to trust in anyone for 10 months. I hope they are both getting all the help they need to heal. ❤️

[@PragerFenster]

Unimaginable 💔

[@CalimehChelonia]

Man, the onions are pretty spicy today. 😢

[@susansmith9263]

So happy to see that Oksana and her daughter Yeva have been reunited! A feel good story, in a country that has seen such senseless tragedy, at the hands of a depraved autocrat. 💙💛🙏💙💛🙏💙💛🙏🇺🇲 🇺🇦

[@veramae4098]

Doesn't feel good to me. That girl looks lost.

[@Vixctor13]

Imagine all those other poor kids being brought to Russia and told that their country doesn't exist.

[@babylonianhell306]

Hope the best for you and in the end Ukraine will win...Slawa Ukrajini ✌️

[@EvilGnarp]

ukrajini

[@imaginemetoo]

Why war........ SLAVA Freedom fighters 💙💛🇺🇦✌️

[@Liza03V]

I cannot imagine how many stories like this will be unvailed in the future. Russians abdacting children to russify them. So happy for both of them.

[@LR-jk2jk]

Great story, evil was defeated.

[@sooz9433]

That is so sad. I'm so happy they are together again and I pray for their safety.

[@john_doe_not_found]

Russia is having a demographics nightmare. Not enough men of fighting age for the military, not enough people of working age for the factories. Of course they want Ukrainian children. Who will support elderly Russians if not Ukrainian children?

[@manikantakabrabam2610]

🥺🥺🥺💪💪💪

[@warrencannon8790]

Bravo to you strong lady. Your love courage beyond the Paramount. You are a national treasure anywhere on this planet. My love and best to both Wlc

[@mike4480]

Some sources put the number of over 2.8 million 🇺🇦 people shunted off to far parts of 🇷🇺…disgusting how a cruel Country like 🇷🇺 thinks that this is okay, The sooner the Genocidal Imperialist invaders are pushed back over their 🇷🇺 borders, the sooner 🇺🇦 people can be let home..💙💛💙

[@ellasmommy9278]

I'm so glad they're reunited. I can't believe her parents are still pro Russian after all this.

[@stacey_1111rh]

Russians that are “pro Russian” are heavily brainwashed

[@karensheehan2878]

Grandparents

[@ivanyudintsev684]

Why people are pro-Russians? There is a Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko. In mid December she posted in KZbin her report about Donetsk and Mariupol. She interviewed local people and asked them: "Do you want Ukraine to return here?" People answered: "No, absolutely". She asked Mariupol locals: "Why?" People replied: "After things the Ukrainian army made here, when they fired at us, we do not Ukraine at all". Think about it.

[@UtilityCurve]

@@ivanyudintsev684 Let's see: The people who were disinclined to.leave Mariupol when they could (yes, that speaks to their loyalties) and were deemed sufficiently harmless by the occupiers to be allowed to remain in what was left of Mariupol (yep, that sounds pro-Ukrainian). These are the people you ask about their opinion of Ukraine? Seems like a stacked deck to me. And I gotta ask: When did Ukraine shell Mariupol? It was where Ukrainian troops were hoped up! Were they firing into the air above themselves? Hey, I got no issue with anyone who'd rather be under Russian rule. I think they're crazy, but they have a right to be crazy. What they do not have is a right to hope Russia takes the land they're living on to accomplish that. This idea that where people speak Russian "belongs" to Russia prompts me to ask: What about all the young Russians who speak English? Does the land beneath their feet "belong" to the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the U.K.? I mean if language determines borders ... In the U.S., many, many people speak Spanish, and they are free to do so (heck, we'll give them government forms in Spanish, no problem). But their neighborhoods are American. Hoping to be "liberated" by another, Spanish-speaking nation would be disloyal, even treasonous. Russia for Russians (and Ukraine for Ukrainians). It is incumbent on individuals to sort themselves out across the border they feel most comfortable to be behind, not to welcome a foreign army to cleanse their locale of others who don't share their loyalties.

[@ivanyudintsev684]

@@UtilityCurve Previously I have referred to report made by the Ukrainian TV journalist in Russian. Do you follow the Russian language? If you don't, then I have to find another way to show the same to you.

[@timsullivan4566]

Why is it that at the very moment they showed them being reunited... ...someone had to start chopping onions near me? 😉

[@tarmaque]

It's the curse of the Onion Fairy.

[@nightengale7163]

Bless the volunteers for helping 🙏🌹 Bless the brave Ukranian people 🇺🇦💙💛🌻✨ 🇺🇲❤️🇺🇦

[@oneshotme]

That was screwed up and hated that her own family did that to the young girl!!! Very happy they were able to get her back to her mom!!!

[@laszlozoltan5021]

this had me crying too- damn fucking ruzzia

[@theresa1305]

Oh how heartbreaking. God bless you were reunited. War is just horrible.

[@Luna-rr2us]

i am crying....i hope rhey are doing well.this all shall end....❤

[@u.h.h4915]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🏻💙💛

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

That's beyond sick, a traitor not only to their country, but to THEIR OWN BLOOD. May they rot in hell's cesspool.

[@UtilityCurve]

Well, they ARE in Russia (Belgorod oblast), so they're at least headed in the direction of hell.

[@seratonin7004]

Just another crime to add to the list of perverse Russian actions. Stealing people's children is a new low. I can't even imagine how parents deal with this.

[@candyhotlips1338]

What a brave woman.💙💛💙💛

[@xavierfelix2567]

This is a beautiful show of love, strength, determination.

[@robertfarrow5853]

That child has been in Russian hands. She looks dead eyed. What propaganda and savagery have those immoral barbarians inflicted on her?

[@eprofessio]

They seem so close and happy.

[@ihatepeas46]

Made me cry too😢😢...But thanks God she's back to her mum arm's,God bless you both🙏❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

[@roberthoyt7921]

So emotional

[@intercat4907]

"No one had the right ..." A lot of things that have happened to this quiet little country fall under that description. Heartbreaking.

[@denisedavies5859]

How can there be so much hatred in one family? Total destruction 💔💔

[@sashad.7722]

So glad that the family is reunited💙💛

[@joette5333]

There are many things YOU can do to help call your politicians , write letters of support , DONATE to a reliable charity , even Steven Colbert helps by selling "potato T-shirts " proceeds are for food , care packages for soldiers you have never met , YES YOU CAN HELP

[@joaomaxado65]

I hope you can live a loonng and heathy live together.

[@WhitedeathBelajaSmert]

IT feels i need to Be really volunteer on the Ukrainian army. I have think about ten months now . Slava Ukraina Slava democracy.🇫🇮 Glad they got happy end to story.

[@ivancho5854]

It's a very serious decision. You could die. Don't rush. Talk to your family and loved ones first. Also get as much information as you can. There are also many volunteering jobs in Ukraine. You could join the army after that and the army would look very favourably on doing it that way. It would also help you learn Ukrainian which is very important. You should try learning the language as soon as you can. Stay safe my friend and good luck. Slava Ukraine. 🇺🇦🇬🇧

[@stefankeller7176]

Questions are, what is your experience? Are you a police officer or military? Paramedic firefighter or nurse? People with no previous experience should not go there, since you are from Finnland you might have the mandatory service but remember that might not be enough, how long was it, what did you do and how up to date are you with training? My teacher went to irak back in 2005, he said war sucks, is awful. There are ways to help without being in danger, help in local refugees camp, send medical equipment. Is also important you don’t watch so many videos and stories, if you do it too much, will do bad for your mental health, I say it because I went through the same back in 2014

[@hilarybrooks6383]

🥺😢

[@kathleen7825]

God Bless The Earth Angel, Kateryna, For Your Courageous Soul 🙏💗🙏💗🙏💗🙏

[@user-hh9rp7pu5f]

Как же не стыдно врать. Кто их насильно вывозит?????

[@elvismiller366]

So happy for you she has sadness in her eyes but you bring out your heart and she is so happy 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@abhishekyadav-gc8xb]

Slava ukraine🇺🇦❤️❤️❤️💪💪💪 love from India🇮🇳,

[@SigMaQuint]

You can cry it all out when you are safe again.

[@sandrajintoorkar3181]

No matter the ethnicity, you can always count on family to turn against you. Glad she got her baby back!

[@plantsim]

My mother (Slava) would never go back she said maybe it's silly but she feels she would not be allowed to leave.

[@Ed_Stuckey]

Nice family. At least it turned out well.

[@U.H8]

💛💛💛💫💫💙💙💙

[@sumiland6445]

Thank God, they are both okay! And together again 🤗💖 Who can be pro-Russian now?? Who?!

[@paintballusa1658]

Good her daughter has been returned. Prayers for all Ukrainian children, civilians and prisoners of war to be rescued and returned to Ukraine 🙏🏻💙💛🇺🇦

[@madyogi6164]

Sad you needed war to find out who are you dealing with, day after day. "A family" ...best viewed on the picture, from the waist down! Anyway, great the kid is all right!

[@clarechomyn9686]

So happy for both mother and daughter. They will have such a strong love for each other after this experience. Let her Russian family live in ruzzia, and the freedom loving mother and daughter live in a free Ukraine.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

A brief respite in a sea of misfortune. There are hundreds if not thousands of others that have been brought to Russia illegally.

[@Joe3pops]

War efffing socks! At least this family was reunited.

[@heavysoftness8530]

Not all bothers and sisters get along...this is even more sickening when families are not sticking together. Bring back and return to Ucraine all those wish to. 🥰🇪🇺✌️🇺🇦💪

[@bunnylarese2161]

Dogs are better than any kind of therapy. 🐶 ❤

[@fridamaldonado8426]

🇺🇦🙏🇺🇦🙏🇺🇦🙏🇺🇦🙏🇺🇦🙏

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

PBS to the rescue

[@MrTomtomtest]

A thought for all the children of Ukraine whose lives has been turned upside down one way or another by this war. All that for the ambition of a crazy old man...

[@patclark2186]

Many ethical issues here. But at the end of the day, a mother needs to stay with and take care of her daughter, and a daughter need to be with her mother.

[@raduradu334]

Missleading title,she was taken by her uncle not the russians

[@justuandmebb]

The free democratic world must continue to support Ukraine against the imperialist russia

[@artemiogomez606]

It's sad to see family being torn apart because of one old man that wants land that don't belong to him. Their should be no sanctions lifted until all Ukrainian children and adults that were kidnapped from Ukraine are return to their motherland Ukraine.

[@voskan]

The children were deported because the could not be under constant shelling. And they are sent back once the legal documents are provided. This particular parent should have been thinking about her daughter first, she could have taken her to safety and THEN join the army.

[@romans6two338]

As a parent of 2 daughters I can't imagine the mental hardship you both went through. God bless you both. I'm very happy you both were reunited from those evil Russians. We are praying for Ukraine her people.

[@06colkurtz]

War crimes. Wouldnt it be ironic to put them in jail then have them volunteer for Wagner? LOL

[@mariamcnamara1106]

I am so so happy for this woman and her daughter.God bless them both.

[@profefabianaaguero8464]

🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@majortom6560]

Russians

[@tonihil]

What was better: To leave kid alone in village that suddenly became warzone in Ukrainian counteroffensive, or to take her to safety? The Russian state had no interest in keeping her. Hire lawyer, prove that kid is yours, and she will be sent to you. As for cousins and parents that are pro-Russian. What better proof anybody wants that part of population of Ukraine genuinely didn't want to live under Kiev regime? All claims that Putin did it all are proven wrong by this report.

[@user-ne3gy1fv6v]

Девочка вернулась домой. Это хорошо. Если честно думал зигуличку кинут. Хоть махонькую.

[@Alexander44665]

I'm just going on what this woman said (and making a few commonsense assumptions): 1) She (presumably) knew her brother was pro-separatist and left her daughter with him anyway while she went off to fight. 2) She knew her entire family shared her brother's politics. 3) It sounds like when the fighting got bad, her brother made the best decision for his family and neice in his care and fled to Russia 4) While there was a break in the fighting which provided a window of opportunity to send the girl back before the brother took her to Russia (and the family refused the mother's request), I can see the family's side! Who would want to send a related child into a war zone? 5) Russia did return the child. The mother even admitted in other interviews that her daughter was not mistreated in Russia. Sounds to me like her family was more responsible than she was.

[@scottstevens2752]

I'm so happy I live in the U.S. , those poor people!

[@israelvazquezplascencia883]

I don't think they should be called family.

[@stacey_1111rh]

This is why Putin and Russia need to be stoped amongst other reasons. 🇺🇦✌🏼

[@HubertofLiege]

What is it with Russians and boundaries ?

[@tashuntka]

Dear God.... Russians have no shame...

[@beam3819]

Thank you volounters. May all Ukraina's deported people come home. Espesially the children kidnapped by SSia

[@delavan9141]

Wow, an extended weepy crying scene! Love it. I always enjoy a little voyeurism into other people's pain. Glad she got returned though. She doesn't seem the type to live in Russia.

[@pepijykyum]

Crazy!!! Like if you want to live in russia, then live in russia. Dont drag other people into hell they don't want to be in. Crazy relatives

[@MattMajcan]

And now her president has expressed support for israel who is also ruining daughers lives like this.

[@nebojsapoljakovic8072]

Slava Rusiji

[@sebozz2046]

That's why women should stay with children and not act as men and go to war

[@sebozz2046]

@@noobdernoobder6707 are you triggered ?

[@dntskdnttll]

@@sebozz2046 lol, medieval fool

[@sebozz2046]

@@IMSHPK why that? Because I believe in gender roles? What about the Ukranian government not letting men leaving the country is that also medieval fool?

[@Oregon123]

Wow ukraine would not have done the same for russia. Slava rassiya

[@themitch2166]

beh what an idiot u are

[@americancracker0078]

You are a typical libturd that has a pile of shit for brains.

[@americancracker0078]

Pack your shit and move to Russia if you think it's so great there.

[@hypercake1660]

You're right, because Ukranians don't kidnap children.

[@Oregon123]

5 comments only one seen is my own.

[@loonowolf2160]

Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@occidentalexplorer1125]

Every Single Russian Orc on Ukrainian soil will never see their mothers again and their mothers will never hear their Orc Childs voices ever again.