Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khilyuk has finally returned home after being held in a Russian prison for more than three years. His release took place on Sunday as part of a new prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
In a video message to his family, Khilyuk expressed his relief. "I knew you cared about me and worried about me. Mum, don't cry. I'll be home soon," he said in an emotional statement reported by CNN.
The 50-year-old journalist had no contact with the outside world during his years of captivity.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Khilyuk’s freedom in a public statement. He said: "We are bringing home journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who was abducted in the Kyiv region in March 2022. At last, he is home, in Ukraine."
Along with Khilyuk, seven other Ukrainian civilians also gained freedom. Among them were former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko and journalist Mark Kaliush.
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Khilyuk and his father, Vasyl, were detained in March 2022 when they went out to collect basic supplies in their village during the early days of Russia’s invasion. Vasyl was released soon after, but Khilyuk disappeared into secret detention.
For months, Russia denied holding him. Other prisoners later reported seeing Khilyuk inside Russian facilities, but authorities kept denying it.
His lawyer revealed that the family received a handwritten note from him in April 2022. However, the message only reached them four months later, in August.
Khilyuk’s lawyer also confirmed that he was never charged with any crime, nor was he put on trial or convicted. His detention remained secret and unlawful throughout.
Despite official denials, his family and colleagues kept pressing for his release.
Ukraine’s government stated that at least 16,000 Ukrainian citizens are still detained in Russia. Many of them are activists, priests, local leaders, and ordinary civilians taken from occupied territories.
Some have been held without charges for years. Others were even deported deep into Russia.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, called Sunday’s prisoner exchange an important step but reminded the world that thousands remain missing.
Khilyuk’s release has given hope to many Ukrainian families waiting for news of their loved ones. His survival following years of seclusion demonstrates the fortitude of people wrongfully incarcerated.
His remarks to his parents, "Mum, don't cry," encapsulate his relief at returning home for the time being. "I'll be coming home shortly."
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