DND ready to assist in the repatriation of Pinoys from Ukraine

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Friday said they were ready to assist Philippine government agencies in the repatriation of Filipinos from Ukraine amid the attack of Russian military forces.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said they were also closely monitoring the situation, committing to help the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in assisting affected Filipinos.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and are standing by to assist our other government agencies led by the DFA in repatriating our citizens from Ukraine, if and when we are called upon to do so,” Lorenzana said in a statement.

“We hope that the situation does not escalate beyond what can still be resolved through diplomacy and the international rules-based order,” he added.

The DFA said a total of 181 Filipinos have been accounted for in Ukraine, while there were 37 Filipinos on the way to Lviv who would eventually be repatriated.

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. traveled to the Ukrainian border to ensure the safety of Filipinos and oversee the government's efforts to relocate or repatriate them to the Philippines.

Approximately 380 Filipinos are living in Ukraine, most of whom are in the capital Kyiv, the DFA had said. — DVM, GMA News