Ukraine returns 15 civilians from Russian-occupied territories, ombudsman says
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Ukraine returned 15 civilians from Russian-occupied territories, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Sept. 19.
"Leaving occupied territory is not easy. For some, it means years of waiting; for others, it means deciding to leave behind a home where they have spent their entire lives," Lubinets said on social media.
"And when someone is sick, elderly, or barely able to move on their own, the journey home becomes even more difficult."
Some civilians returned without documents because they were lost or had expired, Lubinets added.
The oldest returnee is a 96-year-old woman from the occupied village of Zaliznyi Port in Kherson Oblast. Her daughter and son-in-law returned with her.
The youngest returnee is 49, Lubinets said.
The group also includes a 74-year-old man from Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast. He had stayed in the occupied city because he feared leaving could harm his son, who was in Russian captivity. The son was returned from captivity in 2025.
The fate of thousands of Ukrainians currently in captivity, as well as those living under occupation, remains uncertain. Ukrainian authorities say up to 16,000 Ukrainians are considered missing, while Russia is holding thousands of Ukrainian civilians in detention.
