During August and September 2026, a total of 41 Ukrainian citizens, including nine minors, managed to return from temporary Russian occupation to government-controlled territory. This large-scale rescue and repatriation operation was carried out with the direct assistance of the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, alongside partner human rights organizations.

Rescue Routes and Statistics

The primary humanitarian corridor used for returns was the checkpoint 'Mokrany - Domanove' in the Volyn region. According to official data from the Ukrainian Ombudsman, among the forty-one individuals who completed this arduous journey over the past two months are four young children and five teenagers. Each returned citizen receives comprehensive medical, psychological, and legal assistance to facilitate rapid adaptation in peaceful conditions.

Personal Tragedies and Liberation Stories

The Ombudsman's Office shared details of several dramatic rescue stories. Notably, one family was able to reunite and flee after the head of the household was released from Russian captivity. Meanwhile, their eldest son remains in captivity since April 2022, while the mother and younger child faced constant pressure from occupation administrations and were forced to endure compulsory treatment in specialized detention facilities.

Thwarting Forced Mobilization and Repression

Among the successfully evacuated citizens was a young female medic whom authorities managed to extract just prior to her forced conscription into the armed formations of the aggressor state. Another rescued man endured multiple detentions and basement imprisonments in the occupied territories, during which occupation forces completely confiscated his Ukrainian citizenship documents.

Humanitarian Situation on the Left Bank

In addition to successful repatriation cases through the western borders, Ukrainian authorities continue to report a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the country's south. According to Dmytro Lubinets, Russian military and occupation administrations are severely hindering the evacuation of civilians from Oleshky in the Kherson region, where over 6,000 people may still remain under severe humanitarian distress.