A Ukrainian child returned from the Czech Republic following a family tragedy
A Ukrainian girl who ended up in the Czech Republic after her mother’s death has returned to her father in Ukraine following several months of complex efforts by diplomats and social services. The process took half a year and required coordination between the two countries. The child is now back home with her family.
A Ukrainian child who ended up abroad due to the war was able to return to her father in Ukraine after losing her mother. This was reported by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights, who shared details of the complex and lengthy process that culminated in the family’s reunion.
According to him, the girl left for the Czech Republic after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, and in 2025, she suffered a terrible loss—her mother died suddenly. During that time, caring people in the Czech Republic temporarily took the child under their care so she would not be left alone. “But in December 2025, her life changed forever—her mother died suddenly. During this difficult time, the child was not left alone: caring citizens of the Czech Republic temporarily took care of her,” Lubinets noted.
After that, the girl’s father contacted the Ombudsman’s Office with a request to help bring his daughter home. This was followed by a complex process—a joint effort by Ukrainian and Czech authorities, social services, and international partners—which involved legal approvals, paperwork, and coordination of every step. “Negotiations, paperwork, and coordination of each step took six months,” the statement said.
As a result of these efforts, the child was able to return to Ukraine, where her father, grandmother, relatives, and the entire family were waiting for her. Lubinec emphasized that this story is an example of how cooperation between government agencies in different countries can help resolve even the most complex humanitarian situations, provided that the child’s best interests remain the primary focus. This was reported by Dmytro Lubinec, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights.
In the Rivne region, law enforcement officers detained a 39-year-old woman suspected of attempting to sell her three children. According to investigators, the children were to be used for forced begging and drug trafficking. If the woman is found guilty in court, she faces up to 15 years in prison.
