A missing Ukrainian child listed in the national Children of War registry has been identified as a soldier in the Russian army.

According to the Back to Ukraine team, Oleksandr Mustiatse from the Kherson region — officially recorded as missing since Russia's occupation — appeared on social media wearing a Russian military uniform marked with the "Z" symbol, posing with the Russian flag and sharing photos from positions where he was fighting against Ukraine.

Many people may see this as an individual choice, but I see something very different.

This case demonstrates the long-term consequences of leaving Ukrainian children under Russian occupation.

At Save Ukraine, we speak with children and families who have escaped occupied territories almost every day. Their stories reveal a systematic process that begins long before military service. Children are introduced to militarized education in kindergarten and school, encouraged to join Yunarmiya, taught to handle weapons, and repeatedly told that Ukraine is their enemy while military service to Russia is their duty.

When this becomes the only reality a child knows for years, propaganda stops feeling like propaganda. It becomes identity.

This is why time under occupation is one of the greatest threats facing Ukrainian children today.

Russia is not simply occupying territory, but deliberately investing in reshaping an entire generation — erasing Ukrainian identity and preparing children to see service in the Russian military as a normal and honorable path.

Every month a child remains under occupation makes this system harder to reverse.

That is why rescuing children is about far more than bringing them to safety, but about protecting their identity, preserving their future, and preventing the weaponization of an entire generation.

You can help make that possible.

Please share this story to raise awareness about what Ukrainian children face under occupation. And if you are able, support Save Ukraine's rescue missions so we can bring more children and families home safely.

Donate here: https://t.co/XMusgO4Oqb

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