Elderly Ukrainian woman and others rescued from Russian-held territories

According to the Human Rights Ombudsman, eleven Ukrainians have been brought back from Russian-controlled territories, including a 96-year-old woman and her son from the village of Tavriiske in Kherson Oblast. The son, recovering from severe injuries sustained in a September air attack, required assistance to travel with his mother, who could not move independently. Another evacuee, a man who suffered three heart attacks and mobility problems, also received specialized transport after years of staying in occupied Luhansk.

In parallel, the NGO Save Ukraine reported that 33 children were returned this week through the Volyn humanitarian corridor, the sole operational crossing with Belarus. With no working checkpoints on the Russia-Ukraine border, an estimated 3.5-5 million Ukrainians remain in occupied areas, hindered by health issues, financial constraints, and threats of expropriation.