By Sofiia Tiapkina
In Ukraine, evacuation is a path from survival to finding a home.
Nova Ukraine has been working with our Czech NGO partner, Helping to Leave, to evacuate Ukrainians from russia and the russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. Our efforts have enabled 94 people, including those with limited mobility, to find safety away from conflict zones.
Since russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, 2.8 to 4.5 million Ukrainians have been deported to russia. The numbers are terrifying, considering that during 69 years of the USSR’s existence, the total number of people in all Soviet republics subjected to deportations by the Kremlin amounts to 6 million. Today, russia deports and brainwashes Ukrainian children with anti-Ukrainian propaganda. The harrowing scale of these deportations, as outlined by Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and various reports, underscores a strategic endeavor by russia to cause a demographic catastrophe in Ukraine, while ostensibly solving its own demographic challenges in regions like Siberia and the Far East.
Nova Ukraine and Helping to Leave have been working to rectify these atrocities and bring Ukrainians back to a semblance of home. Among those we’ve helped are people like K., an older woman facing significant health challenges including arthritis, osteoarthritis, and blindness. Her evacuation involved driving an ambulance through a snowstorm across borders, which, until recently, seemed impossible. In a group of other evacuees, we found a man who volunteered to push her wheelchair, overcoming the difficult 2.8 km journey through mud and dirt after the recent snowmelt. Now, after all these difficulties, K. is happily reunited with her loved ones in the Kyiv region.
Another story is that of A. and D., an elderly couple with disabilities from Hola Prystan, Kherson region. russia occupied the town, and in November 2022, all the residents were forcibly moved to a facility in russia, in Rostov-on-Don, where they unwillingly received russian passports. The conditions in the russian facility were unbearable, and the couple contacted us for help with the evacuation. Though challenging, we successfully facilitated their departure just before New Year’s Eve. A. and D. traveled by private car to Estonia, where we arranged accommodation in a specialized facility with all the professional care they needed.
These operations aren’t simple. They require careful planning, coordination across several countries, and a network of transportation methods, from private carriers to ambulances. Each step is taken with the utmost care to ensure the safety and well-being of those we assist.
Yet, the demand for evacuation remains high, with over 300 new requests every month. These numbers highlight the ongoing urgency for support, not just in terms of logistics, but also in ensuring we can continue to offer this lifeline to those trapped in occupied territories.
Through stories like these, we remember the power of the human spirit and the impact of collective effort. We’re dedicated to continuing our work, helping one person, one family at a time, to find safety and peace. We ask for your help in bringing peace and justice to the people of Ukraine.
Your support makes a real difference in the lives of many
- Learn more about Nova Ukraine’s evacuation projects.
- Learn more about Nova Ukraine’s political advocacy.
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