--- title: "15 Ukrainians Returned from Occupied Territories: 96-Year-Old Grandmother from Zheleznyi Port Was Helped Escape by Her Brother-in-Law on an Ilizarov Apparatus" description: "The Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, reported the return of 15 Ukrainians from occupied territories, including a 96-year-old resident of Zheleznyi Port and a 74-year-old resident of Kherson who suffered a stroke." date: 2026-09-19T14:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/15-ukrainians-return-from-occupied-territories-lubinets tags: [ukraine, occupied-territories, ombudsman, kherson, evacuation, humanitarian] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # 15 Ukrainians Returned from Occupied Territories: 96-Year-Old Grandmother from Zheleznyi Port Was Helped Escape by Her Brother-in-Law on an Ilizarov Apparatus ![Silhouettes of people against the Ukrainian flag — return of citizens from occupied territories](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/20/15-ukraincev-vernulis-iz-okkupacii-lubinets/15-ukraincev-vernulis-iz-okkupacii-lubinets-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On September 19, 2026, 15 citizens returned to the area under Ukraine's control from the occupied territories; the oldest of them was 96 years old - The 96-year-old resident of Zheleznyi Port and her family lived under constant shelling; her son-in-law moved using an Ilizarov apparatus - The 74-year-old resident of Kherson did not leave the occupied zone because of his son held captive; after his son's release in 2025, he suffered a severe stroke - Lubinets reported that the Russians are obstructing the evacuation from Oleshky, where more than 6,000 people may still remain On September 19, 2026, another 15 citizens who had remained on the temporarily occupied territories managed to return to the area under Ukraine's control. This was announced by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights, in his Telegram channel, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. Among those who returned were people aged between 49 and 96, each of whom had spent months or even years on occupied land under conditions incompatible with normal life. ### The Family from Zheleznyi Port: 96 Years Under Shelling The oldest among those who returned was a 96-year-old resident of Zheleznyi Port village in Kherson Oblast. She left for safe territory together with her daughter and son-in-law. According to Lubinets, the family had been living for a long time under constant shelling, power outages, and a severe shortage of food. The elderly woman required constant care, and her son-in-law moved using an Ilizarov apparatus, which made it impossible for him to independently make his way to safe territory. The family's grandson was already waiting for his relatives on the free territory: the man was finally able to reunite with his loved ones and personally look after them. ### 74 Years of Waiting: The Story of a Resident of Kherson Another story cited by the Ombudsman belongs to a 74-year-old man from Kherson. For many years he had not left the occupied territory, fearing that his departure could harm his son, who was being held captive. Only after his son's release in 2025 did the man decide to leave. By that time, his health had deteriorated significantly: he had suffered a severe stroke, as a result of which he developed partial paralysis on the right side, as well as inflammation of the lower jaw gland. He is currently under medical observation, and help is being provided to restore his documents and stabilize his health. Ahead lies a reunion with his relatives, which he had been waiting for for many years. ### Documents as a Barrier: The Bureaucracy Problem in the Occupied Zones Lubinets separately highlighted a systemic problem faced by a significant portion of returning citizens: "For some people, the return begins without documents — they were lost or have already expired. Under occupation, even a Ukrainian passport, which should simply be a document, can become a cause of new difficulties." The Ombudsman expressed his gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the MBF "Caritas Ukraine," representatives of state bodies, humanitarian organizations, medical workers, social workers, and all specialists involved in the return of citizens. "The work continues — for those who have returned and for those who are still waiting for the opportunity to return home," he concluded. ### Context: Oleshky and Russia's "Elections" The day before September 19, Lubinets publicly addressed citizens of Ukraine remaining on the occupied territories in connection with Russia's holding of "elections" to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. In addition, the Ombudsman reported that the Russians are obstructing the evacuation of residents of Oleshky, and that, according to his data, more than six thousand people may still remain in the city. Thus, the return of 15 citizens on September 19 was only a small part of the ongoing humanitarian process, in which, according to estimates by Ukrainian authorities, tens of thousands of residents still remain on the occupied territories. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [15 Ukrainians Managed to Escape from Occupation, Says Lubinets](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/15-ukrayintsiv-zmogli-virvatisya-okupatsiyi-1789825154.html) - РБК-Украина пересказывает пост Дмитрия Лубинца в Telegram от 19.09.2026. Все ключевые факты (15 человек, возраст 96/49, Железный Порт, Каховка, инсульт, Олешки) приведены в единственном источнике. Независимого кросс-чекинга по именам нет, но источник является первичным (официальное заявление уполномоченного). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many Ukrainians returned from the occupied territories on September 19, 2026? **A:** According to the statement of the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, 15 citizens returned to the area under Ukraine's control on September 19. The oldest among them was 96 years old, and the youngest was 49. ### Q: Why did the 74-year-old resident of Kherson not leave the occupied territory for so long? **A:** The man feared that his departure could harm his son, who was being held captive. Only after his son's release in 2025 did he decide to leave, but by that time he had suffered a severe stroke with partial paralysis on the right side. ### Q: According to Lubinets, how many people remain in Oleshky? **A:** According to the Ombudsman, more than six thousand people may still remain in Oleshky, and the Russians are obstructing their evacuation.