Another 11 Ukrainian Citizens Return Home via Belarus Through Humanitarian Corridor
Reform.news Editorial Team · 23 October 2026, 11:04
https://reform.news/en/another-11-ukrainian-citizens-return-home-via-belarus-through-humanitarian-corridor/Another 11 Ukrainian citizens have returned to territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities via the Mokranу-Domanove humanitarian route, which runs through a border crossing on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The route was reported by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
According to Lubinets, some people faced additional difficulties returning because of their health conditions and the need to arrange medical assistance and safe passage.
Among those who returned was a married couple who had to arrange their journey home twice. The woman had previously managed to leave the occupied territory, but her husband subsequently became seriously ill and was admitted to intensive care. She returned to be with him, and after his condition improved, the couple were able to travel to Ukraine together. The man will undergo medical examinations and further treatment.
“We have found accommodation for the family and will help them settle in and effectively rebuild their lives after the occupation,” Lubinets assured them.
He thanked international company MHP and its founder and CEO, Yuriy Kosyuk, for helping organize the evacuation.
He also highlighted cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the charitable organization Caritas Ukraine, which assists people after their return, including with transportation, temporary accommodation, and financial, social and psychological support.
“I am grateful to them for this cooperation, which has now become systematic. Arrangements for the return of citizens are made weekly or once every two weeks, depending on the lists compiled, people’s circumstances and the possibility of organizing a safe route,” the ombudsman said.
“The Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsman is effectively the only state institution that systematically organizes the return of citizens from temporarily occupied territories via the Mokranу-Domanove humanitarian route. We work with people who often have no way to leave on their own and coordinate assistance at every stage of their return,” he added.
From 2023 to 2026, a total of 818 people received assistance through initiatives to facilitate relocation and family reunification along various routes.
Overall, from May 24, 2024, to October 15, 2026, a total of 24,953 people, including 2,054 children, returned to Ukraine through the Mokranу-Domanove border crossing. In 2026, the route was used by 11,815 people, including 802 children.
An ombudsman’s office representative works at the border crossing, advising citizens, helping them contact relatives, arranging onward transportation and securing the assistance they need.
Priority is given to people who cannot return on their own: older people, people with disabilities and serious illnesses, people with limited mobility, children and families with children. Assistance is also provided to those facing persecution or the threat of forced mobilization, as well as people left without money, housing, documents or support from relatives.
Ukrainian citizens whose relatives remain in occupied territories or Russia and need help returning are advised to contact the ombudsman’s office by calling 1678, from abroad at +38 (044) 299 74 08, or via WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram at +38 093 406 80 17. They can also email [email protected] or contact the office through its online portal.
