Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets says 16 Ukrainians were brought out of occupation through the Novi Yarylovychi checkpoint.
Sixteen Ukrainian civilians have been brought out of russian-occupied territory and into government-controlled Ukraine. Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced it on 10 October. The group crossed at the Novi Yarylovychi checkpoint on the border with Belarus.
According to Lubinets, the return was organised by the agricultural company MHP and its founder and CEO, Yuriy Kosyuk. He also thanked Caritas Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross for medical care, housing, financial aid, psychological support and onward transport. Volunteers Support Ukraine likewise keeps helping people affected by the war in whatever way its resources allow.
Among those evacuated was an elderly man with a disability who took part in the response to the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. He had been living with his wife in occupied Luhansk Oblast. She suffered a severe stroke in April and needed round-the-clock care, but died before the evacuation could take place, so only he came out. "The daughter was waiting for both parents, but met only one," Lubinets wrote.
Another evacuee is a woman with severely limited mobility who lived alone under occupation. Her journey required specialised transport, medical help and a carefully planned route, and the preparations were kept quiet so as not to draw the attention of the occupation authorities.
"Crossing the border is only the beginning of a return to a safe life," the ombudsman said. Ukraine returned 15 civilians from occupied areas on 19 September, and 41 more came back through a crossing in Volyn Oblast in August and September. His office continues to process requests, assess risks and coordinate routes for others who want to leave.
For Volunteers Support Ukraine, stories like these are a reminder that behind every figure there are real people who need care and a reliable shoulder next to them.
