The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has denied reports that Ukrainians were taken hostage in Sudan.
"The information about the capture of Ukrainian hostages is not confirmed. During the escalation of the situation, there were members of the Ukrainian aviation crew at Khartoum International Airport. This group of people was evacuated. They are now in a safe place. The Ukrainian Honorary Consul in Sudan is taking care of them," the ministry said in a comment to LB.ua.
They noted that the Foreign Ministry and the Embassy of Ukraine in Egypt are keeping the safety of Ukrainian citizens in Sudan under special control.
For its part, the Ukrainian airline SkyUp commented on the situation with its employees and aircraft in Khartoum.
"On 15 April, fighting broke out in Sudan. We are currently aware of the activation of an emergency beacon on one of the two SkyUp aircraft operating at Khartoum Airport. It is currently impossible to determine the condition of the aircraft and possible damage. The 36 local employees are currently in a relatively safe place and are in contact with them," the airline said.
The company noted that its main task now is to organise safe conditions for employees and help them leave the country as soon as possible.
"We are working on this together with the Embassy of Ukraine in Egypt, the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Sudan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and other government agencies. We will report on the resolution of the situation as soon as possible," it said.
The SkyUp Airlines aircraft are in Sudan under an ACMI contract with Sun Air. Since the beginning of 2023, they have operated flights to Cairo (Egypt), Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
Meanwhile, Air Plus News has published visual evidence that at least two planes are on fire at Khartoum airport: A330-300 from Saudi Arabia and SkyUp Airlines B737-800.