During their nine-month occupation of the Kherson region of Ukraine, the Russians kidnapped at least one thousand children from schools, orphanages and hospitals, sending them to Russia; they remain missing.
The Associated Press describes efforts at one hospital to protect children who had been left at the hospital by their parents or caregivers, sometimes after the parents had been killed by the invading Russians. Doctors and nurses forged medical records for each of the children describing diseases and conditions that would kill the children if they were to be taken.
“We deliberately wrote false information that the children were sick and could not be transported,” said Dr. Olga Pilyarska, head of intensive care. “We were scared that (the Russians) would find out … (but) we decided that we would save the children at any cost.”