Melania Trump reveals talks with Putin on abducted Ukrainian children

The latest: The First Lady said eight children were returned to their families in the past 24 hours, with more underway. She credited Putin's cooperation to benefit "all people involved."

• Russian officials also revealed the identities of some released children and the "social, medical and psychological services" they received, she said.
• She said she hoped to increase transparency around the welfare of children caught in the war and help more families reunite.

Context: More than 19,000 Ukrainian children were deported to Russia for re-education, which frequently included military training, per a Yale Humanitarian Research Lab investigation released in March.

• Researchers found vulnerable groups, including orphans and children with disabilities, were targeted, sometimes abused and denied contact with their families.

Flashback: President Trump hand-delivered a letter to Putin from the First Lady in August, asking the Russian president to consider the innocent children affected by the war, which would "serve humanity itself."

What we're watching: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) bipartisan Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act passed in the Senate Thursday as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

• The legislation would assist Ukraine's investigation into the children abducted by Russia, according to Klobuchar.
• The bill, which will need to pass the House of Representatives, would also hold abductors accountable and assist children with rehabilitation efforts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine and the Russian embassy did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.