Yesterday, a Ukrainian Premier League football match took place in the capital between «Dynamo» and Kharkiv's «Metalist 1925». Children who had previously been deported or forcibly displaced to Russia and have now returned home were invited to the event. The kids led the players of both teams onto the field at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Stadium.

According to the press service of the Kyiv football club, this is just one of the first activities under the President of Ukraine's initiative Bring Kids Back UA.

The initiative aims to return all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia during the invasion that began in 2022. Ukraine has verified information on at least 19,546 cases, but the actual number could be much higher—possibly over 1.6 million children, including those still on temporarily occupied territories. As of today, 1,656 children have been successfully returned thanks to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

The support for the President's initiative by «Dynamo» (Kyiv) shows the club's readiness not only to symbolically support children but also to become a consistent partner in collaborative efforts with the state, civil society, and international partners, particularly in implementing reintegration measures and initiatives aimed at bringing Ukrainian children home.

«For us, football has always been more than just a game, - said the CEO of FC «Dynamo» (Kyiv), Dmytro Brih. - First and foremost, it’s a responsibility to society and our children. We will do everything possible to help return Ukrainian children home, as they are the future of the country. We believe: children should grow up at home—in their own country, in families, under a peaceful sky».