The way out of an occupied home: how to leave the temporarily occupied territories and what dangers you should take into account

Not so long ago, an extraordinary and unique video featuring a woman walking from the temporarily occupied territories along the Antonivskyi Bridge went viral all over the country. After she showed a Ukrainian passport, the Ukrainian military, who were watching the woman using a drone, helped her to evacuate.

The woman told the military that she had been forced to leave for Russia at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After moving from one city to another several times, she decided to return to Ukraine. One morning, she went from Oleshky to the Antonivskyi Bridge, because she did not know that it had been destroyed.

Many Ukrainians follow a similar and no less difficult path in order to leave the temporarily occupied territories or move from one settlement to another.

Checkpoints, enhanced checking of information, confrontation with the military, threats to personal information… unfortunately, this is the reality for many Ukrainians.

How can people return to the territories controlled by Ukraine? How can they protect themselves at checkpoints? How can personal data be protected during enhanced checks? We talk about all these issues in this latest episode of the ‘Infobridge’.

How do checkpoints operate in the temporarily occupied territories?

Checkpoints in the temporarily occupied territories have been set up since 2014 – since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in Donbas. Previously, they allowed people to move between districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea and leave for the free territory of Ukraine. Now, this process has stopped, and it is not possible to leave the temporarily occupied territories across the demarcation line. However, people still need to move from one place to another.

Last year, the occupiers strengthened the police-administrative regime. For example, in the temporarily occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region, the occupiers have increased the number of groups inspecting civilians.

“The so-called mobile checkpoints, units of the Russian military of 10-12 people, carry out spontaneous inspections for civilians. A car with the occupiers can stop at any place in a city and check civilian cars and city residents. Usually, they check smartphones to reveal any information that could be transferred to the Defence Forces,” says the National Resistance Centre of Ukraine.

Moreover, at checkpoints in the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region, the occupiers deliberately damaged Ukrainian passports.

“In order to save yourself, your family members, your life, and your health and escape to the territory controlled by Ukraine or the territory of a third country, you need to take a passport and go. At the border, you will meet border guards who let people into the country. Then you will have to go through some security procedures. They are part of our law enforcement system and the procedures of the Security Service of Ukraine. The occupiers use people residing in the temporarily occupied territories and try to infiltrate them into Ukrainian structures. That is why we have to be extra vigilant. However, no one considers people criminals just because they have resided in the temporarily occupied territories. Obtaining a passport is not a crime in itself,” emphasises Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.

Now, the invaders are tightening the pass control at checkpoints. Sometimes, they hand out conscription notices to men of draft age.

“At checkpoints around Severodonetsk, checks of persons trying to leave or return to the city have been intensified. Documents, personal belongings, and suitcases are meticulously inspected. Such enhanced checks are also caused by the invaders’ anxiety about their own security. They try to identify those who collaborate with Ukraine, do not want to obtain a Russian passport, or do not recognise the occupation authorities. In any case, you should prepare yourself well for the crossing of borders between cities or state borders,” says Artem Lysohor, Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.

How to cross checkpoints in the temporary occupied territories

Now, it is possible to leave the temporarily occupied territories for the areas controlled by Ukraine only through Russia. This route is long and dangerous. However, there are Ukrainians who still dare to take it. Representatives of the Humanity volunteer organisation and the Donbas. Realii project give specific advice on how to prepare yourself for a checkpoint crossing.

According to volunteers, you should:  

• come up with a story: where you are going and why;
• clean up your list of contacts: if it contains the numbers of Ukrainian government agencies or your family members serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, you should delete them;
• clean up your correspondence and messages: unfollow patriotic groups, delete messages on the war, pro-Ukrainian memes, etc.;
• make electronic versions of documents: save important documents to the cloud;
• talk to your children: tell them the “safety rules”.

While crossing a checkpoint, you should behave quietly, and calmly answer the questions of the occupiers. However, you should try to avoid contact with them and should not share important private information.

Crossing administrative borders is the most difficult stage, because it may include interrogations by security services. You should remain neutral and talk briefly and should not give in to provocations that may be arranged by the military or security services.

“They can ask you about your childhood and the reasons for your leaving the temporarily occupied territories. They record all your answers in a Word document, adding clarifying questions. In fact, they are waiting for you to say something wrong,” says Inna from Mariupol in her interview for Radio Svoboda.

Volunteers from the Humanity project also summarise the following: you should have funds for your return trip, because you may be returned home.

Secondly, there is no clear algorithm for identifying people who will be allowed by Russian border guards to cross the border. Everything will depend on their mood.

Thirdly, you should not accept help with evacuation from Russian security services, because finally you can find yourself in exile.

“First of all, if you want to leave the temporarily occupied territories, but do not have such a possibility, you should call the hotline 1548, contact chatbots, or consult people. Moreover, volunteer chats may share this information. There are volunteers who work in this area. You should take these opportunities and reach the territories controlled by Ukraine by any means. And we will meet you here. Do not be afraid! I often hear the question: will we have any problems with the Security Service of Ukraine if we obtain a Russian passport and leave the temporarily occupied territories? If you have obtained a Russian passport to leave the occupied territories, there will be no problems. Take this passport and come,” emphasises Iryna Vereshchuk.

If you want to leave for Ukraine, there are several ways and routes. People are no longer allowed to cross a checkpoint on the demarcation line. Moreover, it is quite dangerous. The contact line has been developing dynamically and can change. So, first you have to get to Russia. You can do this though Crimea or the temporarily occupied regions, as well as through Belgorod, Rostov-on-Don, and several other Russian settlements. Then you can go to an EU country through Belarus. And then you can go to Ukraine. You can also go through Georgia, Kazakhstan, or Azerbaijan. According to the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, if you need, you can contact the embassies in these countries.

It will take approximately five days to get to Ukraine using these routes – these are the data shared by those who have left the temporarily occupied territories.

If you need help to leave, you can contact verified organisations. Use the @helpingtoleave_bot chatbot of a team of more than 300 volunteers around the world who help Ukrainians both remotely and on the ground.

You can also contact the @HelpPeopleUA_bot chatbot of the Help People volunteer organisation that evacuates Ukrainians from the occupied territories for free.

Moreover, the Free Belarus Centre initiative helps Ukrainians to leave the territory of Russia. You can also contact the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine which will advise you on which route to choose.

In general, the way to the areas controlled by Ukraine will be not only long, but also expensive. According to the Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, the cost of the entire route may reach up to UAH 30,000.

“We record all the data on the evacuation of Ukrainians from the occupied territories and help many of them. We advise them on routes and checkpoints to cross. Moreover, for a long time, our international partners have been helping us to cover the expenses of people, related to the evacuation from the occupied territories. Because this route is expensive and may cost up to UAH 30,000 per person,” says Ivan Fedorov, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

There is another route – through the Kolotylivka – Pokrovka checkpoint. After crossing the state border of Ukraine on foot, you will be transported to Sumy by volunteers for free, where your documents will be checked. People with disabilities can be transported by special vehicles.

“After crossing the state border of Ukraine, they will be provided with a hub, warm food, medicines, required documents, the first payment (for example, in Kyiv, Lviv, or Kharkiv), financial support, and a free ticket to the part of Ukraine they have chosen,” says Iryna Vereshchuk.

How can you protect your personal data?

To cross checkpoints safely, you should protect your personal data:

• First of all, delete any pro-Ukrainian and patriotic information from your smartphone – photos, videos, forwarded posts, and correspondence.
• Unfollow any pro-Ukrainian groups on social media and delete them from a search feed.
• Clear your browser and social media history. Leave only neutral messages and correspondence with your family members.
• If any of your family members has a clear pro-Ukrainian position or is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, hide this information in your gadgets: delete all messages and correspondence and unfollow accounts on social media.
• Make backup copies of data and save important data to the cloud.
• Warn your family members that you are leaving and ask them not to send you any dangerous messages.

You should protect your personal data not only for the safe crossing of the border. You should also protect it while residing in the temporarily occupied territories. The constant use of VPN services and encrypted messengers – Signal, WhatsApp, and Threema – can ensure secure communication with other people.

If your family members are residing in temporarily occupied territories, please share this information with them. Take care of yourself and stay in the Ukrainian information space. This is the final episode of the “Infobridge”. You can find the other episodes on our YouTube channel.

Authors: Ivan Mahuriak, Sofiia Troshchuk

Article published in Ukrainian by 24TV.UA