Ukraine evacuates 10 young people aged 18-19 from TOT and Russia since March – ombudsman
Since March 2026, with the assistance of the Ombudsman’s Office, 10 young Ukrainians have been able to leave the temporarily occupied territories and Russia and return to Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has reported.
"These are 10 young men and women aged 18-19. Despite years of living under occupation, they want to study at Ukrainian universities, live in a free society, and build their careers right here – in their own state. For them, returning became an opportunity to independently determine their own future," Lubinets wrote on his Telegram channel.
He said that one of the evacuated young men was only 14 years old at the time of the occupation. His sister managed to leave and settle in Odesa, while he remained with his parents, who were caring for a seriously ill grandmother.
"With each passing year, the guy felt more and more acutely: he does not see his future under occupation. He does not see opportunities for development, education, or freedom. Therefore, he made a difficult but conscious decision to return to Ukraine. Today, he is with his sister in Odesa," Lubinets said.
"Occupation is not just about checkpoints and prohibitions. It is about a life without a sense of a future. About fear. About the constant feeling that your choice, your freedom, and even your dream no longer belong to you. That is why every return of our people to the territory controlled by Ukraine is extremely important," he said.
