The first Lebanese from Ukraine arrived in Lebanon at 4 a.m. from Bucharest where they were staying in hotels belonging to a Lebanese businessman Mohammad Mourad after fleeing the war between Ukraine and Russia.
They were welcomed at Rafic Hariri International Airport by the Chairman of the High Relief Commission, Major General Muhammad Khair and their families.
He indicated that from the start of the hostilities, Lebanon tried to obtain an evacuation of its nationals stranded in Ukraine during a ceasefire which did not take place. Efforts are reportedly underway with the Lebanese Embassy in Kiev. He indicates that the Lebanese authorities did not favor the fact of gathering the Lebanese nationals blocked on the spot.
For the time being, 960 Lebanese nationals are registered with the services of the Lebanese embassy, of which 450 should be evacuated to Poland and 250 are already there.
For the others, “A number of Lebanese are still in Ukraine, according to their will, despite the danger, but we are in contact with them. Coordination is underway with the Ukrainian Red Cross and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has been contacted to ensure coordination and communication between the Ukrainian Red Cross and the Lebanese Embassy in Kiev so that we can recover those that we could not get out at the moment, and I hope that the operation will be completed as soon as possible.”
Muhammad Khair announces the arrival within 48 hours of a second plane evacuating Lebanese nationals from Poland.
On the spot, the Russian forces are currently trying to encircle Kiev and have carried out an airborne operation against Kharkiv. The Russian army also claims to have conquered the Ukrainian port city of Kherson, located in the south of the country, linking up with the forces of the Republic of Donbass
