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August 25, 2025 – Ukraine/Russia –
Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khylyuk, a correspondent for UNIAN, has finally returned home after spending three years, five months, and 21 days in Russian captivity, liberated during a prisoner exchange on August 24, 2025, coinciding with Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Khylyuk was abducted by Russian forces in March 2022, when he and his elderly father were retrieving essentials from their village of Kozarovychi near Kyiv. While his father was released shortly after, Khylyuk remained held incommunicado across multiple locations, including facilities in Dymer, Bryansk, and the Vladimir region. His detention was clandestine—Russian authorities denied holding him, and his whereabouts were confirmed only through the accounts of fellow prisoners and human rights investigators.
According to Khylyuk himself, life in captivity was marked by extreme isolation and deprivation. He described an environment where detainees experienced a total information blackout, with no knowledge of current events, including significant developments like the liberation of Kherson. He recalled seeing nothing but painted-over windows, a sliver of sky, asphalt underfoot, and crows from guard towers—not a blade of grass or a bird in sight.
His release came as part of a larger “146 for 146” prisoner swap between Moscow and Kyiv, involving 146 exchanged individuals, including soldiers, civilians, journalist Mark Kaliush, a medic, and former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolaenko. President Zelenskyy confirmed Khylyuk’s return and shared emotional moments: in a message to his mother, Khylyuk said, “Mum, don’t cry. I’ll be home soon.”
Following his release, Khylyuk expressed one clear wish: to embrace his family. He also conveyed a renewed sense of purpose and resilience, affirming his intention to resume journalistic work. His release offers both personal relief and a powerful symbol of hope for countless families still awaiting news about their loved ones held in captivity.
Reference –
https://ground.news/article/journalist-dmitry-khylyuk-returned-from-russian-captivity
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/24/world/ukraine-journalist-prisoner-release-intl
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