Key takeaways:
- On 24 August 2025, former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko was released from Russian captivity, where he had been held for over three years.
- His return was an emotional moment for his family; the first words he spoke after returning were: “Glory to Ukraine.”
- Meanwhile, current Kherson mayor Ihor Kolyhaiev remains in Russian captivity, and his condition is reported as critical.
Former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko has returned from Russian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on Ukraine’s Independence Day, Suspilne reports.
His release coincided with the day before his mother’s birthday, making it especially significant for the family.
“It’s the greatest celebration we could have. We are all crying with joy and happiness. We can’t calm down, answering all calls,” his niece, Hanna Korshun-Samchuk, shared.
Mykolaienko immediately called his wife, and his first words were: “Glory to Ukraine.”
Time behind bars
Russian forces abducted Mykolaienko on 18 April 2022, following threats from local collaborators. For a long time, his whereabouts were unknown until the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed his detention.
Mykolaienko served as Kherson’s mayor from 2014 to 2020 and was active in local Euromaidan protests supporting Ukraine’s European integration.
Heroic decision in captivity
According to Andrii Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, Mykolaienko had the chance to return from captivity in 2022 but refused to save a critically ill cellmate first.
“Many young people break under this pressure. People of older age survived much, and the main task of the Russian authorities is to destroy us physically and morally. They are succeeding at it,” Mykolaienko said in his first address to the public after the release.
Meanwhile, another Kherson mayor is still captive in Russia
After Volodymyr Mykolaienko, who served as Kherson’s mayor before the all-out war, Ihor Kolykhaiev was elected as the city’s mayor. He led Kherson until the Russian occupation in 2022, after which he was abducted by Russian forces.
Former Russian prisoner reveals he saw kidnapped Kherson mayor in FSB prison
On 25 April 2022, Russian forces seized the Kherson City Council building, and by 26 April, they installed their own “city government.” Kolyhaiev remained in the city, working remotely until his kidnapping on 28 June 2022.
Several reports have indicated that Ihor Kolykhaiev has serious health problems and is being subjected to torture while in Russian captivity, according to Kavun. He spent over a year in Taganrog, according to the Coordination Headquarters, before being transferred deeper into Russia. This is the latest information on the mayor as of February.