Russia spreads fake news about Kyiv refusing to take Ukrainians back from Georgia
Illustrative photo: Russian propaganda resource

Russian propagandists are spreading a fake claim that Kyiv allegedly does not retrieve its own citizens, including prisoners of war and former prisoners, from neutral territory. This... reports Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

The disinformation claims that Ukraine is allegedly refusing to accept about 90 of its citizens at the Upper Lars checkpoint, which is located in Georgia on the border with Russia.

"The purpose of the fake news is to discredit Ukraine as a state that supposedly 'abandons its own people'," the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security stated.

According to the center, in this situation, all Ukrainian citizens who have supporting documents receive assistance and return home.

"The Ukrainian consulate in Tbilisi issues notes confirming their willingness to issue a certificate for return to Ukraine. However, only those whose citizenship has been confirmed can receive such a certificate. If a person is not a citizen of Ukraine, the consul has no grounds to issue documents," the Center explained.

It is noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have been illegally transferring convicts from temporarily occupied territories. When these people's sentences expired, they were released with certificates in hand, which are not documents for crossing the border.

The decision on the entry of such people from the territory of Russia into Georgia is made by the Georgian side.

The Center for Strategic Communications added that since the beginning of this situation, Ukraine has been acting systematically: the issue is being addressed by the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and the Ombudsman.

  • July 19th Sybiga reported to Zelenskyy. regarding the situation with Ukrainians who are being deported by Russia to Georgia. Diplomats are working to organize the transit of citizens to Ukraine.
  • On the same day The foreign minister called on Russia. to send Ukrainians not to the border with Georgia, but directly to the border with Ukraine.