The International Geographical Union is distressed to hear of the abduction of the Ukrainian geographer, Professor Vladimir Vorovka at the hands of the invasive forces and supports the following statement issued by the Ukrainian Geographical Society.
Before the start of this full-scale war, which the Russian Federation started on February 24, 2022 on the territory of Ukraine against the entire civilized world, Professor Vorovka worked at the Melitopol State Pedagogical University as a dean of the faculty, head, professor of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Management.
According to witnesses, on December 13, 2022, at about 5.30 am, still in the dark, 4 cars including a minibus, approached the housing of the V. Vorovka family, located in the village of Tambovka, near Melitopol. A group of armed persons, dressed in military uniform, left the cars and headed to the house, where at that time was only the owner. Approximately an hour and a half later, these people took the owner out of the house, put him into one of the cars and drove away in an unknown direction. Since then, until now, nothing has been heard about V. Vorovka’s whereabouts.
Numerous appeals to the representatives of the occupation authorities on the spot did not lead to the slightest results – no answers, explanations about this situation, by whom exactly these actions were carried out, about their reasons, grounds, about the current place of stay of V. Vorovka were provided, which causes great concern to the general public, not to mention the family.
The situation is extremely threatening and requires urgent actions, in particular, taking into account the chronic diseases of Professor V. Vorovka, which cause the need for regular medication, do not allow hypothermia, prolonged stay under stress, excessive nervous loads. Failure to comply with the regime established by doctors poses a real threat not only to his health, but also to life.
In connection with this fact of criminal actions the leadership of the Ukrainian Geographical Society appealed not only to the relevant state bodies of Ukraine, but also to the International Geographical Union, counting on the support of the world geographical community.
Reaffirming our unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people, we again call on the Russian authorities to stop the aggression, withdraw their troops from the territory of Ukraine beyond its internationally legally recognized, including early by Russia, borders, to stop committing criminal acts on the territory of another, sovereign state, to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Professor V. Vorovka.
We hope that both such facts and this appeal will not be ignored by those Russian geographers who are outraged by the ongoing aggression, truly rooting for the rightful place of their state in the world, for its future, are properly aware of their responsibility for what is happening, as well as the special, professional role of each of the geographers in ensuring the civilized development of world processes, the establishment of an appropriate worldview by everyone on our Planet.
