Since his release from a Russian prison, Dmytro Khyliuk has barely been off the phone. The Ukrainian journalist was detained by Russian forces in the first days of their full-scale invasion. Three and a half years later he's been released in a prisoner swap, one of eight civilians freed in a surprise move. While Russia and Ukraine have swapped military prisoners of war before, it is very rare for Russia to release Ukrainian civilians. Dmytro has been catching up frantically on all he's missed. But he's also phoning the families of every Ukrainian he met in captivity: he memorised all their names and each detail. He knows that for some, his call may be the first confirmation that their relative is alive.
There were celebrations here last month when Dmytro was returned from Russia in a group of 146 Ukrainians. A crowd came out waving blue and yellow national flags, cheering as the buses carrying the freed men passed hooting their horns. Most on board were soldiers with sunken cheeks, emaciated after their years behind bars. Officials won't say exactly how they got the eight Ukrainian civilians back in the same exchange, only that it involved sending back in return 'people Russia was interested in'.
Dmytro's report of his captivity includes accounts of physical abuse and starvation. 'They grabbed us and literally dragged us to the prison and on the way they beat us,' he recounted, describing the cruelty he endured. The journalist was never charged with any crime but faced constant torment.
Dmytro's recent return highlights the ongoing issue of civilian detainees. In Ukraine, more than 16,000 civilians are still missing, complicating the challenges of securing their return amidst the tensions of war.
There were celebrations here last month when Dmytro was returned from Russia in a group of 146 Ukrainians. A crowd came out waving blue and yellow national flags, cheering as the buses carrying the freed men passed hooting their horns. Most on board were soldiers with sunken cheeks, emaciated after their years behind bars. Officials won't say exactly how they got the eight Ukrainian civilians back in the same exchange, only that it involved sending back in return 'people Russia was interested in'.
Dmytro's report of his captivity includes accounts of physical abuse and starvation. 'They grabbed us and literally dragged us to the prison and on the way they beat us,' he recounted, describing the cruelty he endured. The journalist was never charged with any crime but faced constant torment.
Dmytro's recent return highlights the ongoing issue of civilian detainees. In Ukraine, more than 16,000 civilians are still missing, complicating the challenges of securing their return amidst the tensions of war.
