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20,000 teddy bears blanketed the California Capitol Monday. Why they were there

The installation, called “Bring Kids Back,” made its Sacramento debut as part of an ongoing campaign to draw attention to the thousands of children and support international efforts for their return. It was displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in Los Angeles earlier this year.

“I think everybody can agree that stealing children is an atrocity and should not be happening in this day and age,” said Aleksandr Krapivkin, director of advocacy and engagement at Nova Ukraine and one of the event moderators. “If we don’t want this to ever happen again — not only in Ukraine, but … to any nation, then we have to take action now.”

The focal point of the installation were the teddy bears, which hung from fence panels and formed the message “Putin abducted 20,000 Ukrainian children. Bring Kids Back.”

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Jul 7, 2026

The Sacramento Bee

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Aug 20, 2026

Ohio Becomes Fifth US State to Tackle Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children

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A photo of a memory board created by Zmistovno students in Odesa, July 2026
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A photo of a memory board created by Zmistovno students in Odesa, July 2026 Thirty-five years ago, on August 24, Ukraine restored its independence. Today, Ukrainians defend and strengthen it every single day. The United States and Ukraine are separated by geography and history, but united by the belief that people have the right to live freely and determine their own future. In July, Ambassador Erin E. McKee traveled to Odesa and Mykolaiv to meet the people and organizations living that belief: Ukrainians leading recovery in their own communities, supported by partnerships that last.

Aug 20, 2026

Ohio Becomes Fifth US State to Tackle Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) Nova Ukraine applauds the Ohio State Senate for becoming the fifth U.S. state legislature to introduce a resolution condemning Russia’s forced abduction of Ukrainian children. The bipartisan bill (SCR 21) introduced by State Senators Thomas F. Patton (R-Strongsville) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) “condemns the Russian Federation for the wrongful and illegal abduction, forcible transfer, and subsequent illegal adoption and indoctrination of children from Ukraine.” Ohio joins Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin to take up this issue. To date, only Wisconsin has held a full vote and adopted the resolution. Nova Ukraine Director of Advocacy Aleksandr Krapivkin says:

Nova Ukraine's new Vector of Resilience joint pilot project helps Ukraine's veteran support specialists address burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
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When the Pain Becomes a Part of You

“Nova Ukraine's new Vector of Resilience joint pilot project helps Ukraine's veteran support specialists address burnout and secondary traumatic stress.” The program's first residential trainings, launched by Nova Ukraine and its partners, were recently held in Ukraine's Volyn Oblast. Mariia, a support specialist, almost didn't attend. Leaving the veterans and families she supported for three days filled her with guilt she couldn't shake. She worried about how they would manage without her. But when she found herself among psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals, and community specialists who shared the same responsibilities, something changed.

A photo of a memory board created by Zmistovno students in Odesa, July 2026
Aug 5, 2026

Newsletter – July, 2026

A photo of a memory board created by Zmistovno students in Odesa, July 2026 Thirty-five years ago, on August 24, Ukraine restored its independence. Today, Ukrainians defend and strengthen it every single day. The United States and Ukraine are separated by geography and history, but united by the belief that people have the right to live freely and determine their own future. In July, Ambassador Erin E. McKee traveled to Odesa and Mykolaiv to meet the people and organizations living that belief: Ukrainians leading recovery in their own communities, supported by partnerships that last.

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