Ukrainians held in Russian jail for years return to capital Kyiv

Ten Ukrainians, including some held captive for years, were freed from Russian detention on Friday through the Vatican's mediation, as announced by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The release marked a significant event, with a portion of the group arriving at Kyiv International Airport by helicopter overnight and the rest by bus. The arrival at Kyiv International Airport was notable, as it was the first passenger arrival in over two years since the airport closed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ten Ukrainians , including some who had been held captive for years, were freed from Russian detention on Friday through the Vatican 's mediation, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . A portion of the group arrived at Kyiv International Airport by helicopter overnight, marking the first time in more than two years that the airport, which has been closed since Russia 's invasion of Ukraine, received passengers. The remaining individuals arrived by bus. Among those released were civilians who had been captured prior to Russia's invasion, a rare occurrence for individuals detained after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Nariman Dzhelyal, the deputy head of the Mejlis, a representative body of Crimean Tatars that relocated to Kyiv following the annexation, was among those freed. Despite living in Crimea after the annexation, he was taken into custody a year before the war began. "I was in captivity , where many Ukrainians remain," he said. "We cannot leave them there, because the conditions, both psychological and physical, are very frightening there." Former prisoners, draped in blue and yellow flags, reunited with their families in the airport's main hall, where pre-war advertisements still hung. They also called loved ones who couldn't be present. For some, the separation had lasted several years. Isabella Pekh, daughter of freed art historian Olena Pekh, expressed her longing to embrace her mother during a video call, apologizing for not being able to meet her in person. Isabella Pekh had spent nearly six years speaking at international conferences and appealing to foreign ambassadors to help secure her mother's release from detention in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. Her efforts ultimately paid off. Olena Pekh described her ordeal as "six years of hell that words cannot describe," but found solace in knowing she had her homeland, people who loved her, and her daughter. Two priests were also among those who returned on Friday, including Bohdan Heleta, who was detained in 2022 inside his church in the occupied city of Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 3,310 Ukrainians have been released from Russian captivity thus far. However, many thousands of civilians and military personnel remain imprisoned.