Ukrainian climbers who survived after an attack by an extremist militant group in northern Pakistan will return home next week, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine hopes.

"Two Ukrainian climbers have stayed in Islamabad to coordinate the return of the climbing equipment, which belongs to the expedition members," Director of the Information Policy Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Yevhen Perebyinis said at a briefing on Friday.

He reminded that the equipment was left on the incident site, and now it is being gathered by Pakistani militants.

"We hope that in the near term the equipment will arrive to Islamabad and then two Ukrainian citizens-climbers who stay in Islamabad will arrive to Ukraine next week with the help of our embassy," he said.

Perebyinis said that the weight of the climbing equipment is over a half of a tonne, and the issue of its transportation is rather difficult.

"I think that the issue will be settled next week," he said.