A Florida-based nonprofit organization said five Ukrainian surrogates with unborn Americans were among the 60 individuals rescued from the country during the ongoing invasion by Russia.
In a statement on Tuesday, Project Dynamo said the five surrogates were rescued by team members near five Ukrainian cities and towns before being transported to the organization’s safe locations in the country, referred to as Club Dynamo.
The organization said Club Dynamo is being used as a secure layover location before moving evacuees out of the country and was launched at the beginning of the conflict.
The location has also been used as a safe site for surrogates who want to deliver their babies or for those who want to be transferred to other safe spots within the country. Surrogate mothers are unable to leave the country prior to giving birth, the organization said.
“We’re just relieved these missions were successful and with all involved safely out of harm’s way,” Project Dynamo co-founder Bryan Stern said in a statement. “As indiscriminate attacks injuring and killing scores of civilians are increasing, these rescues of civilians, including pregnant surrogates, are becoming even more imperative and more difficult given the dynamic threat environment.”
This is the fifth successful rescue that Project Dynamo has made of pregnant Ukrainian surrogate mothers, adding that more than 100 additional surrogate mothers have applied for evacuation from the country.
Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, Project Dynamo has received more than 15,000 requests for evacuation from citizens from other countries, the organization said.