Over 40,000 Ukrainians have come back home from Russia since full-scale war started – Ukrainian border guards

Over 40,000 Ukrainian citizens have come back to Ukraine through Russian border crossing points since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Source: Colonel Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service (SBGS), during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Details: The colonel noted that all checkpoints on the border with Russia have been closed since February 2022 by a decision of the Ukrainian government, with no conventional border crossing operations taking place. However, the Russians continue to allow Ukrainian citizens to come back home, particularly through the Pokrovka checkpoint in Sumy Oblast (and the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian side). Demchenko mentioned that this movement occurs almost daily, though there have been periods when Russia temporarily halted the passage of Ukrainian citizens.

At present, SBGS officers do not record the arrival of Ukrainians in this area (according to Russian authorities and media, Ukraine's defence forces are conducting an offensive operation in the Krasnaya Yaruga district of the Russian Federation, in particular near the settlement of Kolotilovka – ed.). However, they are always ready to assist Ukrainian citizens coming back to Ukraine from Russia and Belarus.

Quote from Demchenko: "Along the entire length of the border with Russia, as well as on the border with Belarus, if citizens reach the territory of Ukraine in any area, border guards are, of course, ready to provide registration of [these] people... to let them enter Ukrainian territory. Throughout the entire period of martial law, over 40,000 Ukrainian citizens have come back from Russia, not only through the Pokrovka checkpoint but also via other areas and through Belarus. However, the highest volume of traffic was recorded at the Pokrovka checkpoint."

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