Ukraine Evacuates 43 Citizens Through Moldova from Russian-Georgian Border

43 Ukrainian citizens were evacuated from the Russian-Georgian border via Moldova, The Gaze reports, citing a post by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha on the social media platform X.

It concerns Ukrainians who have either served their sentences in prisons in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia or have been deported from these regions. Many of them are currently staying at the Russian-Georgian border since they do not have a Ukrainian passport or other identity document required by the Georgian side to cross the border.

“Russia is weaponizing the deportation of Ukrainian citizens through Georgia. We propose that Russia transport them directly to the Ukrainian border instead,” wrote Sybiha.

It is reported that lately Russia has significantly intensified the deportation of Ukrainian citizens, leading to the accumulation of dozens of undocumented people in the transit zone. Ukrainian diplomats are trying to provide them with the necessary documents and organize their safe return home through Moldova.

“43 citizens, including former political prisoner Andrii Kolomiyets, have already been evacuated using this route. However, more people remain in difficult conditions at the border,” noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Ukraine is working with Georgia and Moldova to organize the return of its citizens, but the growing number of deportees from Russia remains a concern. To avoid new crises, the Ukrainian side publicly calls on Russia to send such citizens directly to the Ukrainian border, where they are ready to be accepted.

As The Gaze previously informed, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has revealed that Russia mixed the remains of its own soldiers with those of fallen Ukrainian defenders during recent repatriations.