MANILA, Philippines — More Filipino seafarers were repatriated from Ukraine just as conditions “become more challenging” as attacks by Russian forces continue in Mykolaiv, a coastal city near the Black Sea.
In a statement dated March 26 published on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it has now brought home a total of 323 seafarers. Meanwhile, another 30 crew members have been evacuated and are waiting for their own repatriation.
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The ongoing evacuation of seafarers is done with the assistance of the Philippine Honorary Consul and the Philippine Embassy in Budapest.
Over the weekend the department welcomed 13 crew members of MV Ithaca Prospect at the Clark International Airport.
It also brought home on March 25 eight seafarers of MV Filia Glory, completing the repatriation of the whole crew. The first batch arrived earlier last week on March 22.
MV Filia Glory was docked in Olvia Port at the south of Mykolaiv.
“The evacuation of the seafarers was a big challenge because of the need for them to disembark the ship through small boats that would bring them safely to shore,” Philippine Ambassador to Budapest Frank R. Cimafranca said.
“We did this twice since the second batch of the crew was evacuated on a separate day,” he added.
Mykolaiv city is said to hold a key river crossing, which would allow Russian troops to enter Ukraine's biggest port of Odessa in the Black Sea.
Over 3.866 million have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion last month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees operational data portal showed. — Kaycee Valmonte with report from Agence France-Presse