41 Ukrainians return from occupied territory via Volyn: four children and five teenagers among them. PHOTOS
With assistance from the Ukrainian Ombudsman’s Office and partner organizations, 41 Ukrainian citizens returned through the Mokrany–Domanove border crossing in Volyn in August–September this year. Among them were four children and five teenagers.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported this, Censor.NET informs.
Stories of Ukrainians who returned
- One family was able to return after the father was released from captivity. Their eldest son has remained in captivity since April 17, 2022. The woman and her younger son were under constant supervision by the occupation authorities’ medical and law enforcement services. According to them, they had previously been placed in a detention facility under the pretext of receiving medical care, where they were held against their will and subjected to forced treatment. They have now been able to return to Ukraine.
- A young female medical worker was also among those who returned. She was evacuated shortly before she was to be mobilized into the aggressor state’s armed formations. Any longer, and her life could have followed a course dictated to her under occupation.
- Another man was repeatedly detained and held in basements in the temporarily occupied territory. His Ukrainian passport was confiscated. For him, returning meant more than crossing the border — it meant regaining the freedom to make decisions about his own life.
"These stories show that occupation is more than just territory on a map. It means losing freedom, documents, housing, work, contact with loved ones and a sense of safety," Lubinets emphasized.
In total, during this period (August–September), the project provided assistance to 1,140 people, including the citizens whom we jointly evacuated.
How to leave occupied territory
The situation remains particularly acute in Oleshky and surrounding settlements in Kherson region. Older people, people with disabilities, those who are ill, and families remain there, living in constant danger with limited access to food, water, medicines, medical care, and communications. Leaving safely remains extremely difficult for them.
"The Ombudsman’s Office receives requests every day from people who want to leave occupied territory. We process every request, look for routes, involve state and international partners and work through third countries. Because behind every request is an individual and their right to return home," the ombudsman noted.
Volyn is one such route today. The Mokrany–Domanove border crossing is where, after months or years of occupation, people begin their return to free Ukrainian territory and their subsequent recovery.
If you or your relatives need help leaving the temporarily occupied territory, please contact the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine:
1678
from abroad: +38 (044) 299 74 08
from the temporarily occupied territories: +38 093 406 80 17 — WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
