Ukraine's Foreign Ministry and Defense Intelligence evacuate 179 people from Lebanon – photos

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Main Intelligence Directorate successfully evacuated 134 Ukrainians and 45 foreigners from Lebanon on October 1, following President Zelenskyy's order, according to a message from the Foreign Ministry.

The operation was conducted on the instruction of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday.

In total, 179 people were evacuated, including 134 Ukrainian citizens. Among the Ukrainians were 112 adults and 22 children. Additionally, 45 individuals of other nationalities were evacuated, including citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Moldova, Brazil, and Lebanon. Two dogs and a cat were also evacuated.

"This operation was part of a larger effort to evacuate citizens due to the worsening security in the region. 134 Ukrainian citizens and 45 individuals of other nationalities were evacuated," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

On October 1, 2024, Israel announced the start of a ground operation in southern Lebanon to protect itself from Hezbollah attacks. Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin stated that Israel has the right to self-defense, while the Iranian president condemned the actions of the IDF.

The White House expressed concern that Israel's ground operation could escalate into a prolonged war but also acknowledged that the IDF's actions were in self-defense.