Are Ukrainians being deported to a war zone? Yes — but the claim they’re being sent “to fight Putin” isn’t proven.

The Trump administration is preparing to deport some Ukrainians with final removal orders — roughly 80 people — and at least one man could be sent out as early as Monday. But a key detail got overhyped: there is no public list of 80 names, and it’s not confirmed these deportees will be forced to fight upon arrival.

Here’s what the records and officials actually show — and what they don’t.

The biggest correction up front

• No, a court filing did not reveal a list of 80 deportees by name. The Justice Department filing identified plans for one man, Roman Surovtsev. There’s no evidence the document disclosed the names of dozens of others. This specific claim in the original piece goes beyond what’s documented. Source: Washington Post’s review of the filing washingtonpost.com.

A plan built for a country at war — and closed skies

Ukraine’s airspace is shut to commercial flights. So U.S. deportations would likely route via another country, often Poland — exactly what detainees report ICE officers have told them.

• Ambassador confirms the scale and the logistics. Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna, says there are “about 80” Ukrainians with final removal orders and notes the lack of direct air service to Ukraine. She also calls deportation a “routine” legal mechanism. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Ukraine’s skies remain closed to civil aviation, consistent with industry/government reporting. Source: reuters.com.

The human stakes, in their own words

Andrey Bernik says ICE told him he’d be flown to Poland on a charter and handed to Ukrainian authorities. “I deserve to get deported, but not in the war zone,” he told the Washington Post. California records show he was found suitable for parole in June 2024; court summaries indicate his sentence was commuted in 2022. Source: washingtonpost.com.

Roman Surovtsev, 41, could be removed “as early as Monday,” according to a Justice Department filing. His lawyers fear detainees are being pushed out without a fair chance to claim protection — which they argue would be unlawful — and warn deportees may face wartime mobilization under martial law. Sources: washingtonpost.com.

An adviser to Ukraine’s president, speaking anonymously, put it bluntly: “The U.S. can deport as many as they want… We’ll find good use for them.” Source: washingtonpost.com.

What’s verified

• Yes, removals are being prepared for Ukrainians with final orders — about 80 cases, per the Ukrainian ambassador and U.S. court/agency communications. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Surovtsev’s case is real and imminent. A DOJ filing outlines plans and timing “as early as Monday;” logistics could involve military or charter flights to Ukraine or Poland. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Bernik’s account and criminal-case background match records cited by the Washington Post. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• DHS/ICE won’t confirm future operations and says detainees get “full due process.” Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Ukraine’s wartime danger is current and acute. On Nov. 14, 2025, Russia launched one of the largest drone/missile barrages on Kyiv in months, killing six and wounding at least 35; Ukraine hit strategic targets in Russia, briefly disrupting oil exports at Novorossiysk. Source: apnews.com.
• ICE removed 53 Ukrainians in FY2024, per data cited by the Post. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Ukraine’s cooperation on deportations appears to be increasing, according to court observations and reporting. Source: washingtonpost.com.

What’s uncertain or needs more evidence

• “Deportations to fight Putin.” Ukraine is under martial law and has mobilized men of fighting age; lawyers say deportees could be drafted. That risk is plausible — but there’s no direct evidence the U.S. is deporting people with the specific intent that they be conscripted, or that each person will be sent straight to the front. This is a risk assessment, not a proven outcome. Sources: washingtonpost.com.
• Motives for Ukraine’s cooperation. The original article claims Kyiv is helping because it’s “optimistic of Trump’s help.” Reporting shows Ukraine wants to keep U.S. support amid wartime needs; a judge notes a “more cooperative footing.” But attributing it specifically to “optimism about Trump’s help” is commentary, not a sourced fact. Source: washingtonpost.com.

The legal friction point: fear claims in a war zone

Lawyers argue it would be unlawful to remove people without a chance to raise “reasonable fear” claims — especially to a country under martial law. DHS says Surovtsev received due process and stresses that ICE doesn’t discuss future operations. That tension — between wartime realities and immigration procedure — is where the next legal fights will likely land. Sources: washingtonpost.com.

What changed with Ukraine’s cooperation?

Historically, Ukraine wasn’t fully cooperative in some U.S. deportation cases. Now, amid a full-scale war, Kyiv appears more willing to take nationals back — with transfers routed via third countries because of closed airspace. That’s a practical shift, not proof of any promised quid pro quo. Sources: washingtonpost.com, reuters.com.

Quick corrections to the original article

• Overstated: A DOJ filing “revealed the names” of Ukrainians on the list. Evidence only shows Surovtsev’s name. Source: washingtonpost.com.
• Speculative framing: Ukraine’s cooperation is because it’s “optimistic of Trump’s help.” That’s analysis, not directly sourced reporting. Source: washingtonpost.com.

How we know what we know

• Reviewed the Washington Post’s reporting and cited DOJ filing details, ambassador statements, detainee accounts, and DHS responses: Washington Post
• Confirmed current-war context through independent wire reporting: AP
• Verified airspace/logistics constraints: Reuters

Bottom line

• Yes, the administration is preparing to deport some Ukrainians with final orders — about 80 cases are on the radar.
• No, we don’t have a published list of names, and we can’t say each deportee will be sent to fight. The risk of conscription exists under martial law, but outcomes will vary case by case.
• The facts that matter now: closed skies, a country at war, a docket moving fast, and a legal fight over who gets a last chance to say they’re too afraid to go back.