**Ukrainians Forcibly Deported by Russia Held in Basement Without Food, Water**
A dire situation is unfolding at the Verkhniy Lars border checkpoint between Georgia and Russia. At least 45 Ukrainians who were forcibly deported from Ukraine’s occupied territories are being held in a damp basement without access to food, water, or basic healthcare.
The held Ukrainians, who have been denied entry into Georgia, are sharing their harrowing experiences with independent media outlet Astra. One of the deportees described the conditions as “hellish,” saying that volunteers bring humanitarian aid, but it lasts only for a couple of days and not everyone receives it. The basement has 17 sleeping spaces, but another 100 deported Ukrainians are expected to arrive at the facility.
The situation is a result of Russia’s decree ordering Ukrainians still living in occupied territories to leave unless they “regulate their legal status” by obtaining Russian citizenship. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi called these systematic deportations and persecutions part of Russia’s genocide policy against the Ukrainian people.
**Russia Resumes Deportations as Georgia Prepares New Immigration Legislation**
Following a pause in deportations to Georgia last year, Russia has resumed sending Ukrainians to the border. The Tbilisi Volunteers Organization says that 16 Ukrainians with passports were denied entry into Georgia, despite having valid travel documents.
Serhiy Serdiuk, a resident of occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, was deported and banned from re-entering Russia and Ukraine’s occupied territories for 40 years. He was forced to continue working under Russia’s imposed school curriculum in his home region, but refused and was threatened with deportation.
**Ukrainian Authorities Condemn Russia’s Actions**
The Ukrainian government has condemned Russia’s actions, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying that the criterion for success is simple: results. The government is taking steps to strengthen its diplomatic relationships and increase funding for drone development in response to Russia’s overt threats.
Ukraine is currently in talks with Denmark, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania on weapons development partnerships, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
