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Helping to Leave

@helpingtoleave

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We help Ukrainians affected by the war with evacuation and adaptation in a new place‎
Our main account: @helping.to.leave
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Support the project 👇

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Every contribution is vital when it comes to helping those in need. Choose your way to support Helping to Leave — together we can do more.

📸: Bogdana Ferguson @the.bogdana by @helpingtoleave

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9 months ago

Since 2022, the non-profit Helping to Leave has received thousands of requests to rescue people from Russian-occupied territories. Some of those requests were to rescue women who may have never existed at all.
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The charity has helped thousands of people flee occupied areas, and its team was used to urgent pleas for evacuation. But over time, a different kind of request began arriving.
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Foreign men started writing to Helping to Leave asking to rescue Ukrainian women they had met online, women they believed were trapped in Russian-occupied territories.
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Some asked the charity to arrange an evacuation. Others had already sent money, believing they were paying for the woman’s escape and that they would finally meet once she reached safety. They never did.
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Over the past four years, the non-profit says it has received around 200 such requests, which now arrive up to four times a week, according to Nataliia, the project’s communications specialist, who asked to be identified only by her first name due to the sensitive nature of her work with people in Russian-occupied territories.
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Ukrainian and international media have long documented romance scams in which foreign men send money or travel to Ukraine to meet women who turn out to be fake. But the war has given scammers a new way to exploit the sympathy of unsuspecting foreigners.
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Read the full investigation at the link in bio.
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Illustration: Daria Filippova / The Kyiv Independent;
Photo: Courtesy of Stefan; Courtesy of Helping to Leave. by @helpingtoleave

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2 days ago

Occupation is a calculated form of terror that forces Ukrainians to flee their homes for their own safety. That’s why the courage to take that step deserves respect and solidarity.

Be that source of solidarity for the people evacuating from the temporarily occupied territories alongside us—sign up for recurring donations on our Patreon.

Every dollar or euro counts. The link is in our bio!

📸: @mpalinchakphoto, @slavaratynski, @way_of_ukraine by @helpingtoleave

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2 days ago

There are 1,000 kilometers between Kerch and Drohobych. But Mila had to travel more than 3,000 to get from one city to the other.

Swipe to learn about her journey and first experience living on her own.

And to help ensure there are more evacuation success stories like this, please support our work with a donation. Every euro or dollar gives young Ukrainians the chance to live in freedom.

The link is in our bio!

✍️: @yulia_kalaban
📸: Mila, @yulia_kalaban
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This material has been prepared by CO CF Helping to Leave within the National PULSE Consortium, coordinated by Right to Protection @right2protection UK Government support to this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP element of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery and Protection Programme. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies @govuk @ukinukraine_ by @helpingtoleave

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5 days ago

As part of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the joint efforts of the @helpingtoleave team made it possible to return two more teenagers — Uliana* and Iryna* — to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Uliana lived in the temporarily occupied part of the Donetsk region and wanted to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territory. She contacted Helping to Leave for assistance with organizing her return.

The team helped prepare a safe route and supported Uliana throughout the journey. Along the way, she met another girl who was also returning to Ukraine. They decided to continue the journey together and successfully crossed the border.

Today, Uliana is already in Ukrainian-controlled territory and is planning her future here.
Iryna lived in the Zaporizhzhia region with her grandmother. They decided to leave the temporarily occupied territory, but while crossing the humanitarian corridor, Iryna was not allowed through because she did not have a Ukrainian passport.

She then contacted Helping to Leave for assistance with obtaining the necessary documents. Together with her grandmother, Iryna returned to Minsk, where she received a certificate for return to Ukraine and was then able to successfully cross the border.
Iryna is now in Ukrainian-controlled territory. She is restoring her documents and planning her next steps at home.

We thank the Joint Center for Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War, Persons Illegally Deprived of Liberty as a Result of Aggression against Ukraine, for its assistance and cooperation in the return of children.

*All names have been changed for security reasons.

#BringKidsBack taken in Ukraine by @helpingtoleave

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5 days ago

"I was told I'd be shot dead here. That no one was waiting for me," that's how an 18-year-old young man from the occupation was being scared off from coming to the Ukrainian-controlled territories.

Only upon arrival did he learn that people who would help him with the next steps were waiting for him.

One such person is our colleague Iryna. She assists families with children and young people up to age 23, helping them settle down after evacuating from the occupation.

Swipe to learn more about her work 👆

✍️: @yulia_kalaban
📸: @the.bogdana
🎨: @katyaakva
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This material has been prepared by CO CF Helping to Leave within the National PULSE Consortium, coordinated by Right to Protection @right2protection . UK Government support to this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP element of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery and Protection Programme. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies @govuk @ukinukraine_ by @helpingtoleave

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17 days ago

Last week, the @saveukraine.official team rescued 33 children and teenagers from Russian occupation. This became possible thanks to the support of partners within the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Each of them endured constant pressure, threats, and fear, but today that is finally behind them.

Among those rescued:

🔹 16-year-old Illia, who survived an armed attack by Russian soldiers in his own home. He was forced to attend an occupation-controlled school, where teachers called the military police over even minor signs of dissent. Russian soldiers regularly came to classes, teaching children how to handle weapons and operate combat drones.

🔹 17-year-old Oleksii, who was forced to attend an occupation-controlled school under threat. There, teenagers were encouraged to become drone operators, and Oleksii was later forcibly placed on the military register. His family also endured repeated armed searches, during which Russian soldiers intimidated civilians.

🔹 8-year-old Dina, whose family was threatened with having her taken to an orphanage if she did not attend a Russian school. There, children were drawn into propaganda activities, including being forced to make drawings for Russian soldiers. Dina also lived in constant fear due to armed searches of her home and drone attacks targeting civilians.

For these children and 30 others, occupation is now behind them. They are currently undergoing reintegration at Hope and Healing Centers, where they receive psychological support, assistance with documents, safe shelter, and the care they need for a new beginning.

Yet hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children remain under Russian control. The occupation authorities continue to intensify pressure, attempt to erase children’s Ukrainian identity, and prepare teenagers for service in the Russian military.

We sincerely thank our partners, Tatjana Kiel, We Are All Ukrainians, @helpingtoleave, and the Joint Center for Search and Release for their support and cooperation.

We will continue our work until every Ukrainian child is returned home.

#BringKidsBack taken in Ukraine by @helpingtoleave

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9 days ago

These words are testimonials from those we’ve helped ❤️‍🩹

They’re also our inspiration and the fuel that gives us the strength to keep working—so that Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied territories can feel supported and safe throughout the evacuation process, as they’re assisted at the humanitarian corridor, and beyond.

Part of this work is made possible thanks to our partner, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), for which we are sincerely grateful!

‎This publication was created with financial support from Norway and is implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) @nrc_norway. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Helping to Leave and in no way reflects the position of the Norwegian government. by @helpingtoleave

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21 days ago

As part of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the joint efforts of the @helpingtoleave team made it possible to return five more children and young people to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

▪️ Maksym* is from the Donetsk region. For the past few years, he studied at a university before deciding to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The Helping to Leave team helped Maksym plan a route and arranged accommodation along the way. In Minsk, he obtained a certificate for return to Ukraine and was able to continue his journey home.

Maksym is now in Ukrainian-controlled territory and lives with relatives. He plans to restore his documents and look for a job.

▪️ Kostiantyn* lived in the Donetsk region but moved to Russia with his parents before the start of the full-scale invasion. Wanting to return to Ukraine, he contacted Helping to Leave for assistance.

At the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk, Kostiantyn obtained a certificate for return to Ukraine and was able to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory. Here, he received support with accommodation and began restoring his documents.

▪️ Last year, a family from the Kherson region — a mother, two daughters, and a son — also contacted Helping to Leave. They planned to leave the temporarily occupied territory, but preparations for the journey took longer than expected.

During that time, rules for leaving Russia changed, so the family had to wait several more months to obtain the necessary documents. The Helping to Leave team helped plan the route and supported the family throughout the entire journey, which lasted more than two weeks.

Today, the family is already in Ukrainian-controlled territory and is preparing to move to Europe, where the children’s father is waiting for them.

Every return is a chance to continue education, restore documents, reunite with loved ones, and build a future in Ukraine.

We thank the Joint Center for Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War, Persons Illegally Deprived of Liberty as a Result of Aggression against Ukraine, for its assistance and cooperation in the return of children.

*Names have been changed for security reasons.

#BringKidsBack taken in Ukraine by @helpingtoleave

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10 days ago

When leaving the temporarily occupied territories, people often pack their bags in a hurry, taking only the bare essentials.

However, among these items, there’s often something that seems random at first glance. It’s precisely in that item that people fit what they can’t possibly take with them: their home and life before the occupation.

Swipe through to discover these items ❤️‍🩹

And to support Ukrainians evacuating from the temporarily occupied territories, buy our merch via the link in bio!

📸: @mpalinchakphoto by @helpingtoleave

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a month ago

As part of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the joint efforts of the @helping.to.leave team made it possible to return Olha*, Yuliia*, and Vasyl* to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Olha is from a part of the Donetsk region that has been under Russian occupation since 2014. She contacted Helping to Leave to learn whether it was possible to leave and to receive assistance with returning to Ukraine.

With the support of the Coordination Headquarters, Olha obtained a certificate for return to Ukraine and was able to leave the occupied territory. Today, she is already in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Yuliia and Vasyl are a young couple from the Donetsk region. For several years, they had been planning together how to leave the temporarily occupied territory and eventually contacted Helping to Leave for assistance.

The team helped organize their route and supported them throughout the journey. Due to their age, Yuliia and Vasyl did not have Ukrainian passports, so with the support of the Coordination Headquarters, they obtained certificates for return to Ukraine.

Today, Yuliia and Vasyl are already in Kyiv, where they are planning their future together and beginning a new chapter of their lives at home.

We thank the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War for facilitating their return.

*Names have been changed for security reasons.

#BringKidsBack by @helpingtoleave

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17 days ago

Anatolii helps those leaving the frontline areas. He says this work has changed him—every day, he grows more and more aware of just how important even seemingly simple acts of kindness can be.

Swipe through our interview with him.

Spoiler: there’s a truly heartwarming story about a dog named Lola at the end 🐕

✍️: @yulia_kalaban
📸: @the.bogdana

The project is implemented in partnership with Soleterre @soleterre_it and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) @aics_cooperazione_it @aicskiev by @helpingtoleave

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a month ago