Panamanians Edmar Camacho and Efraín Calvo are returning this Sunday, August 9, 2026, after escaping and crossing out of the conflict zone in Ukraine. They spent two transit days in Poland following extraction and are completing their journey via the Warsaw–Amsterdam–Panama route with support from the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.
Repatriation and Conflict Context
- The Travelers: Edmar Camacho and Efraín Calvo successfully left Ukraine after dealing with deceptive recruitment conditions and restricted movement on the ground.
- Broader Operation: Their return concludes a larger humanitarian rescue effort by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama that assisted seven total citizens connected to the Russia-Ukraine war (five extracted from Russia and two from Ukraine).
- Official Stance: Government officials continue to strongly warn citizens against taking life-threatening risks by accepting unverified overseas security or military job offers.
Two Panamanians who were in Ukrainian territory, Edmar Camacho and Efraín Calvo, will arrive in Panama this Sunday, August 9, after being safely transferred to Poland through a consular assistance operation, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry reported. This Sunday they will make the return trip to Panama on the Warsaw-Amsterdam-Panama route, aboard the KLM airline.
