A Ukrainian journalist, held in a Russian prison for more than three years, was freed on Sunday. The release came as part of the latest prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv.
Dmytro Khilyuk, in a video statement, is heard telling his parents, "I knew you cared about me and worried about me. Mum, don't cry. I'll be home soon," reported CNN.
The 50-year-old remained incommunicado after being locked up and not allowed to contact anyone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Khilyuk's release. "We are bringing home journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who was abducted in the Kyiv region in March 2022. At last, he is home, in Ukraine," he said.
Khilyuk and his father, Vasyl, were detained when they went to get basic supplies in their village during the early weeks of the Russian invasion. While Vasyl was released a few days later, Khilyuk remained in their secret custody.
Russia long denied reports of secretly holding him, despite other prisoners, who were later released, saying they had seen Khilyuk in detention facilities. In late 2022 and early 2023, Russian authorities even told his family's lawyer in writing that he wasn't in Russia and they had no idea about his whereabouts.
But the lawyer stated that his family received a handwritten note from him in April 2022. He told them that he was alive and well. The note was delivered to them four months later in August 2022.
According to his lawyer, Khilyuk was never charged, tried, or convicted of any crime.
Along with Khilyuk, seven other Ukrainian civilians were released on Sunday. Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said that former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko, who spent more than three years in a Russian detention centre, was among those freed. Another journalist, Mark Kaliush, was also out.
The Ukrainian government said that at least 16,000 Ukrainian citizens are currently detained in Russia. A large number of these missing people were taken by Russian forces in areas under occupation.
Many have been taken from occupied territories, held for months or years without charges, and in some cases deported to Russia. They include activists, priests, politicians, and community leaders, as well as ordinary citizens picked randomly.
