Armenian Citizens Leaving Ukraine Given 15-Day Transit Visas

The newspaper "Hraparak" reports: "For about a month now, military operations have been underway in Ukraine. Innocent people are being killed, cities and villages are being destroyed, and a deep economic crisis is looming. We are in constant contact with David Mkrtchyan, the vice president of the Union of Armenians in Ukraine. Yesterday, we again inquired about the situation in Ukraine and the fate of the Armenian community residents.

“Today, Ukraine is in such a condition that in a number of cities, the situation is getting heavier and worse. The situation is bad in Mariupol, Kharkov, the capital Kyiv, Kherson, and other occupied cities. By the way, a friend of mine had not been in touch for a long time, and finally, yesterday he came through with terrible details. For two weeks, there has been no electricity, gas, heating, or water. People are using the water from the melting snow on the asphalt, and those who have active charcoal filter it to get at least 10-15 drops in their mouths,” said the vice president of the Armenian union.

When asked how well the remaining Armenians in Ukraine manage to connect with representatives of the Armenian community, David Mkrtchyan said that due to the lack of electricity, communication has been disrupted. “We have problems because phones are dying due to the power outage. And we can’t solve these issues in any way. What we find out is during the opening of green humanitarian corridors. When our guys enter the city with the Red Cross and military personnel during search operations, they look for friends, relatives, and loved ones. The second piece of information comes from those who manage to get out independently and contact us. In the last 5 days, about 70,000 people have left the city of Mariupol without declaring the opening of corridors. Those who have fuel are the ones getting out. There is also a problem with food and medication. They shoot at buses, so food and medication-laden buses are unable to reach their destinations. Last week, a bus was shot at, injuring the driver and the military escorting the bus,” said David Mkrtchyan.

According to him, the community has 15 casualties, and yesterday morning they received a new name; the identity of the deceased is being verified. Among the dead, 5 are military personnel, and 10 are civilians. “I should note that the Armenian community has done its part from day one and continues to do so. We have sent 15 vehicles of humanitarian aid to all cities where we can still send it. We are preparing to send 3 more vehicles east this week; we will see how we can manage. We really want to reach Mariupol, but since even state resources are not functioning, humanitarian cargo does not reach in all cases,” said David Mkrtchyan.

We also inquired how feasible it is to bring Armenians back to Ukraine from Europe after the end of the war. “Most of those who have left will exit – this concerns, of course, Ukrainian citizens. Those who have had the chance to settle in Europe, especially if they have friends, relatives, and will be helped there, will stay. Here arises the question of why Armenians are not returning to Armenia. Europe has opened its doors to all refugees leaving Ukraine from its 28 states. The acceptance by Europe is planned for one year, but if the war continues, it will be extended by another two years. For citizens who leave Ukraine with Armenian passports, 15-day transit visas have been granted to reach Armenia within that time. Up to this point, we know they have not returned; there is no sign of it. The European Union is dealing with these issues, and in two months it will be clear whether they will expel Armenians or not,” said the vice president of the Union of Armenians in Ukraine.

For more details, see today's issue of the newspaper.