Following days of diplomatic dialogue, a humanitarian convoy has been given passage to aid the evacuation of Greek nationals from Mariupol, Ukraine.
As Russia’s brutal invasion continues, the Greek Consulate in collaboration with the Ukrainian Embassy have organised the return of expatriate Hellenes to Greece as well as the entry of Ukrainian refugees.
A convoy of 21 vehicles carrying 82 passengers, as AP reported, drove people from Mariupol to Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region before crossing into Moldova.
Following a decision by Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Ambassador Fragiskos Kostellenos who headed the evacuation mission, will return to Mariupol to organise another convoy. Consul General Manolis Andoulakis has stated that he will remain in Mariupol, “the heart of the ethnic Greek community dating back to the 18th century”, a city with a Greek population over 120,000.
The mission, which includes journalists, staff of the Consulate General of Mariupol and other Greek citizens, arrived at the city on the Dnieper River last night. The convoy’s course was changed several times, reflecting the unstable situation on the battlefield; the rescue team underwent strict controls within a zone stretching between 70 and 80 kilometers and long delays.
The convoy indeed left Mariupol at 11:00 and reached the city of Zaporizhzhia at 18:30, after an excruciating, over seven-hour Odyssey, according to the accounts of evacuating Greek journalists compiled by Action24 television, To Vima Newspaper confirmed.
Expressing his wish for a safe conclusion of the mission, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt referred to the long-standing Greek identity of Mariupol, while also lauding Greece’s stance, both in terms of assistance to Ukraine and in terms of its choice to participate in the sanctions.
“Greece has been and will remain a critical NATO ally in reinforcing the Alliance’s southeastern flank,” said Pyatt.
