“Ukraine is actively working with the Georgian and Moldovan sides to get Ukrainian people on the Russia-Georgia border transited to Ukraine,” wrote Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the X Platform.

According to the Ukrainian FM, Russia is weaponizing the deportation of Ukrainian citizens through Georgia, and Ukraine proposes that Russia transport them directly to the Ukrainian border instead.

“Russia is weaponizing the deportation of Ukrainian citizens through Georgia. We propose that Russia transport them directly to the Ukrainian border instead.

Since June, Russia has significantly increased the number of deported Ukrainian nationals, mostly former convicts, to the border with Georgia. As a result, dozens of people, many of whom lack proper documentation, have been stuck in the transit zone.

Ukrainian consuls are actively working to provide them with documents and transport them to Ukraine via Moldova. 43 citizens, including former political prisoner Andrii Kolomiyets, have already been evacuated using this route. However, more people remain in difficult conditions at the border.

We are actively working with the Georgian and Moldovan sides to get the rest of our people transited to Ukraine. However, there is no guarantee that Russia will not increase the number of deportees even further.
To avoid further complications, we publicly offer Russia to send these categories of Ukrainian citizens directly to the Ukrainian border. We will be prepared to take them on from there. There are relevant parts of the border where this can be done.

We are passing this offer directly and through international organizations using official channels,” he said.

Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Deputy Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs, remarked on the issue. “After studying the issue of Ukrainian citizens deported from Russia, it was revealed that they have committed various, including serious crimes,” he said.