Return Every Child: War Child’s Campaign for the Safe Return of Ukraine’s Children

Client: War Child

In September 2025, War Child launched Return Every Child, a powerful media-led campaign combining striking creative execution with robust new research to expose and challenge the forced removal, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children under Russian control.

The campaign was launched with a one-day public installation at Outernet, one of the UK’s most high-profile immersive media spaces. The installation featured 19,546 paper dolls, each representing a child confirmed by the Ukrainian government to have been taken from their home and transferred into Russia. Outernet’s screens featured a specially designed installation, depicting the total number of children at risk and featuring interviews from transferred children. Together the physical and video installations provided a stark demonstration of the scale of a crisis with little public awareness. Visitors were invited to interact directly with the installation, decorating paper dolls with drawings or messages of hope. This participatory element transformed passive awareness into personal connection, giving the public a tangible way to stand alongside the children affected. Alongside this, War Child, and its partner, Save Ukraine, released new research revealing the systematic indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children living under Russian control through the voices of 200 children who have been rescued, highlighting the scale of confirmed abductions and the severe risks facing thousands more children. The installation served as both a media moment and a call to action. Visitors were encouraged to sign the petition urging the UK government to take urgent steps to secure the safe return of Ukraine’s missing children.