Ukraine prepares to evacuate its citizens from Gaza
Anticipating an imminent IDF military operation following the Hamas attack on Israel, the Ukrainian government is making final arrangements for an urgent evacuation of its citizens from the Gaza Strip, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, told broadcaster WeUkraine on Oct. 9.
The evacuation is currently planned to conclude by Oct. 12, according to Korniychuk.
Currently, the embassy is making a list of Ukrainians wishing to leave Gaza through the only open border crossing into Egypt, where Ukrainian diplomats will meet them. As Korniychuk emphasized, even expired or damaged documents will not hinder their departure.
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Korniychuk explained that in the event of an Israeli ground operation in Gaza, Israel would shut all border crossings, and then the embassy would be unable to assist Ukrainians even in traveling to Egypt.
"It's a matter of hours, and we're working [on it] 24/7," Korniychuk added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians can freely leave Israel via the Ben Gurion airport, which remains operational despite many international airlines canceling flights and ticket prices rising, the ambassador said. Ukrainian citizens who have contacted the embassy have received assistance. According to Korniychuk, a chartered flight to Moldova will evacuate them from Israel by the end of the week.
The Ukrainian embassy in Israel has a record of 14,000 Ukrainians currently in the country, although the actual number is believed to be much higher, as reported by the Foreign Ministry earlier on Oct. 9.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
