Forty Irish citizens remain in war-torn Ukraine
Nanny Svitlana Stetsiuk plays with one of the babies in the nursery in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday; 19 babies are being cared for that were born to surrogate mothers. Picture: Rodrigo Abd/AP
Approximately 40 Irish citizens are still in Ukraine as the Russian army's brutal invasion of the country enters its fourth week, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
A number of these are Irish couples who are involved in surrogacy arrangements in the war-torn country.
The department has reiterated its advice to anybody considering travelling to Ukraine that they should avoid all travel there — regardless of the reason.
A spokesperson told the : “The Department of Foreign Affairs remains in ongoing contact with registered Irish citizens in Ukraine, currently totalling around 40.
“The department also continues to be in direct contact to provide any possible assistance and support to families with surrogacy arrangements in Ukraine.
“We strongly advise against all travel to Ukraine, for any purpose. Capacity to provide consular assistance is extremely limited.”
Several Irish citizens either in Ukraine or on the border are believed to be families trying to help bring surrogate mothers-to-be out of the country.
It is understood there could be as many as up to nine pregnant Ukrainian women involved in surrogacy arrangements with Irish couples.
Not all of the women want to leave the country but those that do are being helped by the Irish families.
Earlier this month, four newborn babies were flown to Romania on an Irish Air Corps PC-12 aircraft.
It is difficult to establish how many of the Irish citizens are in the country to fight the invading Russian army.
Since 2016, foreigners have the right to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine for military service as volunteers to be included in the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A separate subdivision has been formed of foreigners entitled the International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine.
Until recently, enrolment details — with an Irish 086 prefix mobile number — could be found on the website of the Ukrainian Embassy in Dublin but these have recently been removed.
The embassy has refused to answer questions about how many volunteers from Ireland have travelled to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
“We won’t be able to give you this information at this time,” an official told the .
The Department of Foreign Affairs has not commented on it either.
Meanwhile, the body of slain reporter Pierre Zakrzewski is due to be returned from the war-torn country over the coming days.
The first Irish citizen to be killed in the conflict so far, the veteran war photographer and camera operator, who was on assignment with Fox News, was with Ukrainian producer, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, when the vehicle they were in was hit on March 14 near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Mr Zakrzewski and Ms Kuvshynova, who were reporting from the Kyiv border village of Horenka, died because of artillery shelling in the north-eastern part of the village.
Another Fox News journalist, Benjamin Hall, was also seriously injured in the incident and is recovering in intensive care.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and other officials are involved in the repatriation of his remains.
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