Draft: not yet checked by a lawyerThe guides below are drafts: a lawyer has not reviewed them yet. This is not legal advice.
Draft What human rights defenders advise
Returning to Ukraine-controlled territory
Entry check. If you are travelling via Domanove, contact Helping to Leave or Caritas Ukraine in advance: they meet people and help with the onward journey. Ukrainian border guards check belongings and documents thoroughly, sometimes the phone, and then the SBU carries out its own check. There is no published procedure or time limit. People have been held at the border, for example for having no relatives in Ukraine, and released after volunteers stepped in.
Men. Under martial law men aged 18 to 22 may leave Ukraine; men aged 23 and over who are liable for service may leave only on specific grounds. Arrivals from occupied areas are registered for service at the territorial recruitment centre (TCC, the enlistment office), the SBU or intelligence where they live. Online registration via Reserve+ works only the first time and with a biometric document. In August 2026 an Ombudsman representative reported men mobilised right after crossing the border and called it unlawful.
Collaboration. Article 111-1 of Ukraine's Criminal Code punishes specific acts: working in occupation authorities, 'propaganda' and Russian standards in schools, serving in security bodies and 'courts', organising 'elections', business with the occupation authorities. A Russian passport alone is not a crime. According to the UN, 77% of verdicts are passed in absentia, and there is no right to a retrial after arrest.
If you worked in occupation institutions, human rights groups advise talking to a lawyer before you enter. The UN says some people are convicted for work the occupier may lawfully require: for example, 5 years for two months in an occupation 'pension fund'. Free legal aid: state line 0 800 213 103; Right to Protection: 099 507 50 90, 068 507 50 90, 093 507 50 90 (Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00).
Documents. A birth or death under occupation can be established by any local court in Ukraine in a special fast procedure. Passports are issued by the migration service; with few documents, identity is confirmed through a court or a video call with the migration service, which can take 1 to 6 years in hard cases. A return certificate only gives the right to enter; you then need to get a passport.
IDP status. Register via Diia, an administrative services centre or social protection office. Living allowance: 2,000 hryvnias a month for an adult, 3,000 for a child or a person with a disability, granted for 6 months. It stops if you spend more than 30 days in a row or 60 days in six months abroad. The rules change often; the latest change was on 3 September 2026. The reintegration ministry no longer exists and its old guides are outdated.
Property under occupation. Claims to the Council of Europe's Register of Damage for lost access to property (category A3.6) and forced displacement (A1.1) are filed via Diia. The register records damage for future compensation; there are no payouts yet.
Free help for Ukrainians to leave occupied territories and Russia, where they were taken against their will: route, escort, humanitarian and psychological support.
A call to the +380 number from a Russian SIM card stays in the operator's records.
The only official bot is @helpingtoleave_bot. It never asks for money or SMS codes.
At the Domanove crossing since February 2025: registration, transport, food, tickets, legal and psychological help, temporary shelter. Over 2,500 people helped in a year (May 2026).
Helps once you are already on the Ukrainian side, so the risk of contact is minimal. Separately: in Russia a person got 12 years for transferring 100 zloty to Caritas, so donations from Russia are dangerous. No status in Russia found.
Call →0800336734(a call stays in the phone log and with the operator)
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
Ukrainian state body. Staff work permanently at the Domanove crossing; passes lists of detained civilians to the ICRC and the Russian side; works on returns from deportation centres and the Georgian border; takes reports on property seizure; consultation centre on finding children.
Messages with a Ukrainian state body on your phone are dangerous during checks. The main number is now 1678. The old 0 800 50 17 20 is no longer listed on the website; it still worked in May 2026, but it is unclear for how long. It is safer for relatives outside the occupied territories and Russia to make contact. A Ukrainian state body; no status found in Russian registers.
Takes damage claims, including loss of access to property in occupied territories (A3.6), forced displacement within Ukraine (A1.1) and abroad (A1.2, since February 2026; people with temporary protection or asylum count as displaced automatically). Filing only via Diia, also possible from abroad. No payouts yet; the register records damage.
You need Ukrainian documents and Diia; traces of the application on your phone are dangerous during checks. Human rights groups advise filing after you leave. A Council of Europe body; no status found.
Free legal help through a network of advice centres across Ukraine, many of which consult remotely. They help people affected by the war: claims to the Register of Damage and court cases for families of missing persons.
Calling a Ukrainian number from occupied areas or from Russia is risky: better contact them after you leave. The website and consultations are in Ukrainian. They have no separate programme for civilians held in Russia.