Ukrainian Journalist Dmytro Khilyuk Freed After Three Years in Russian Custody; Hundreds of Ukrainian Civilians Remain Detained

Journalist Dmytro Khilyuk, a Ukrainian national held without contact by Russian authorities for over three years, was freed as part of a recent prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv.

Khilyuk, aged 50, was one of thousands of Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained in Russia according to international law. His elderly parents tirelessly campaigned for his release, meeting with politicians, attending protests, and writing letters to Russian authorities.

Upon his return to Ukraine on Sunday, a video released by the country’s authorities showed Khilyuk speaking to his mother moments after crossing the border. He expressed his gratitude for her unwavering support, saying “I knew you cared about me and worried about me. Mum, don’t cry. I’ll be home soon.”

Khilyuk and his father Vasyl were detained by Russian troops in their village of Kozarovychi, north of Kyiv, while attempting to obtain essential supplies during occupation. While Vasyl Khiliuk was released shortly after the incident, Dmytro disappeared without a trace.

Russian authorities repeatedly denied holding him, despite numerous reports from fellow prisoners placing him in detention facilities within Russia. In December 2022 and January 2023, the Russian Investigative Committee and the Russian Prison Service in Bryansk both informed Khilyuk’s lawyer that he was not in Russia and had no information about his whereabouts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Khilyuk’s release among eight civilians exchanged on Sunday, sharing photos of the group on his official Telegram channel. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs stated that these civilians were released alongside soldiers and other security force members. All of those released were privates and sergeants, most having spent over three years in captivity.

The number of individuals involved in the exchange was not disclosed by Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that 146 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukraine in exchange for an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners of war, with eight civilians from the Kursk region also being released.

Ukraine has yet to comment on the claim that Russian civilians were included in the exchange. Previously, when Russian civilians were released from Ukraine, Kyiv designated them as saboteurs and collaborators.

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, confirmed the release of former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko on Sunday. Mykolayenko spent over three years in Russian captivity, refusing to be exchanged in 2022 until a critically ill fellow prisoner was released first.

Speaking on Sunday, Mykolayenko described his feelings as “seeing nothing but bars and concrete in recent years.” He referred to the day as his “second birthday” and expressed love for his mother, who is 91 years old.

The Ukrainian government also announced the release of journalist Mark Kaliush and medic Serhiy Kovalyov, who treated injured soldiers and civilians during the siege of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Their release provides a glimmer of hope for families of Ukrainians currently detained in Russia.

According to Kyiv, at least 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are known to be held captive in Russia, with the actual number likely being significantly higher. Over 37,000 Ukrainians, including children and military personnel, are officially recognized as missing. Many have been detained without charges or trial for months or years in occupied territories, deported to Russia, or taken randomly at checkpoints and other locations within occupied Ukraine.

Thirty Ukrainian journalists are currently held captive in Russia, with the majority not having been charged or convicted of any crime according to Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information. The detention of civilians by an occupying power is illegal under international laws of conflict, except in specific, narrowly-defined situations and with strict time limits. There is no established legal framework for the treatment and exchange of civilian detainees as there is for prisoners of war.