Another 14 citizens return to Ukraine from Syrian camp

Fourteen citizens – three women and 11 children – were evacuated to Ukraine from a refugee camp in Syria.

"To fulfill the task of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, another plane arrived at Kyiv Airport (Zhuliany) evacuating 14 Ukrainian citizens from Syria – three women and 11 children," the press service of the Head of State informs.

As noted, they stayed in the closed-off al-Hawl refugee camp in northeastern Syria. "This is the largest group of Ukrainians that returned home within the evacuation operations from this country," the statement reads.

The humanitarian mission was prepared jointly by the President’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense. The negotiation process with the participation of Ukrainian diplomats lasted several months.

At the same time, 19 more citizens are still in Syria waiting for evacuation from Roj refugee camp, and another humanitarian mission is being prepared to take Ukrainians home. “Ukraine does not leave its citizens in trouble and will always come to the rescue wherever they are,” reads the statement on President’s website.

In late 2020, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to conduct special operations to evacuate Ukrainian citizens from Syria.

In March 2019, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov said that 21 women and 54 children – citizens of Ukraine – stayed in Syria “in difficult conditions in areas with destroyed infrastructure” and asked for help to return to Ukraine.

Photo credit: President’s Office

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