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 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, honking their horns. Most aboard were soldiers with sunken cheeks, emaciated after their years behind bars. Officials won't disclose how they managed to bring back the eight civilian detainees in the same exchange, only that it involved sending back people "Russia was interested in".
Stepping off the bus to a cheering crowd, Dmytro's first phone call was to tell his mother he was free. After the hellish experience of not knowing if he would ever return, the hardest part wasn't knowing when he would be free. "You could be freed the next day or stay prisoner for 10 years. Nobody knows how long it's for," he said.
The details he shared of his captivity are chilling. They literally dragged him to prison while beating him and subjecting him to relentless cruelty. "Sometimes they'd let the guard dog off its leash so that it could bite us," he recalled.
Physically the first year was the hardest; he lost more than 20kg due to severe malnutrition. He witnessed soldiers being tortured and heard their cries during interrogations. The fear of his family was palpable throughout his ordeal, with his elderly parents worrying every day.
Despite his release, many families across Ukraine are still waiting for news, with more than 16,000 civilians currently reported missing and only a handful located in Russian prisons. Dmytro’s journey illustrates not only his personal struggle but also the wider crisis affecting countless families in Ukraine.
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 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, honking their horns. Most aboard were soldiers with sunken cheeks, emaciated after their years behind bars. Officials won't disclose how they managed to bring back the eight civilian detainees in the same exchange, only that it involved sending back people "Russia was interested in".
Stepping off the bus to a cheering crowd, Dmytro's first phone call was to tell his mother he was free. After the hellish experience of not knowing if he would ever return, the hardest part wasn't knowing when he would be free. "You could be freed the next day or stay prisoner for 10 years. Nobody knows how long it's for," he said.
The details he shared of his captivity are chilling. They literally dragged him to prison while beating him and subjecting him to relentless cruelty. "Sometimes they'd let the guard dog off its leash so that it could bite us," he recalled.
Physically the first year was the hardest; he lost more than 20kg due to severe malnutrition. He witnessed soldiers being tortured and heard their cries during interrogations. The fear of his family was palpable throughout his ordeal, with his elderly parents worrying every day.
Despite his release, many families across Ukraine are still waiting for news, with more than 16,000 civilians currently reported missing and only a handful located in Russian prisons. Dmytro’s journey illustrates not only his personal struggle but also the wider crisis affecting countless families in Ukraine.
