Another 15 Ukrainians have returned from territories temporarily occupied by Russia, Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported.
The oldest is 96, the youngest 49.
“Getting out of occupation is not easy. For some, it means years of waiting; for others, the decision to leave the home where they have lived their entire lives. And when a person is ill, elderly, or can barely move independently, the journey home becomes even harder,” the ombudsman said.
From the temporarily occupied village of Zaliznyi Port in the Kherson region, in particular, a 96-year-old woman, her daughter and son-in-law were brought back.
“The woman needed constant assistance, and her son-in-law was moving with an Ilizarov apparatus. They could not make this journey on their own. Here, they were met by her grandson,” Lubinets said.
A 74-year-old man was brought back from Kakhovka, having remained under occupation for years because he feared his departure could harm his son. His son was being held in Russian captivity, so the father did not dare to leave the occupied area. Only in 2025, after his son was freed, did he decide to leave. By then, however, his own health had deteriorated sharply. The man suffered a severe stroke, has partial right-sided paralysis and inflammation of the submandibular gland. He is now under doctors’ supervision. He is being helped to restore his documents and stabilise his condition.