Ukrainian human rights commissioner explains how Sumy Oblast residents abducted by Russia were brought back home

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - 22 May, 16:10

Hrabovske on the map. Photo: DeepStateMap, an interactive map of the hostilities in Ukraine

Residents of the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast who were abducted by Russian forces have been brought back to Ukraine through the Domanove border crossing with Belarus.

Source: Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets during a presentation of the project Made in Russia. Delivered into Captivity, as reported by Ukrinform

Quote: "The Russians took 53 Ukrainian civilians from Hrabovske. On the very same day, I urgently submitted an official appeal to the Russian side. The next day, I was informed where they were being held, what condition they were in, how they were being provided for, and I was even given a list of those who had received medical assistance. After that, we began communication regarding the return of these people."

Details: Lubinets said those who had IDs were brought back through the Domanove crossing point in Volyn Oblast on the border with Belarus.

"This is the only official crossing point currently operating through which Ukrainian citizens can evacuate from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," the commissioner noted.

Lubinets added that people without documents, elderly civilians and people with limited mobility were handed over gradually by the Russian side.

Background:

In 2025, local media outlet Kordon.Media reported that on the night of 19-20 December, Russian troops entered Hrabovske, located directly on the state border.
The outlet also reported that "as of the evening of 20 December, enemy infantry was present in the village of Riasne".
The following day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's state border near Hrabovske and had taken more than 50 civilians from the village.
Meanwhile, Ukrainska Pravda learnt that the Russian incursion had not been a one-off breach. Attempts to storm the section of the Sumy Oblast border near Hrabovske had continued for several days.
DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts, stated that a group of Ukrainian soldiers responsible for holding the border sector in Hrabovske had acted irresponsibly in carrying out their duties, allowing Russian forces to enter the area.

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