Former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko Released from Russian Captivity
© MyUkraine.org
Kostiantyn Golubtsov
Published: August 24 2025 at 07:37 pmSource: MyUkraineis.org
Former mayor of Kherson Volodymyr Mykolayenko, who had spent more than three years in Russian captivity, has been released today. He was freed as part of a 146-for-146 prisoner exchange.
Return After Years of Imprisonment
The information about his release was confirmed by the online media outlet MOST and by Mykolayenko’s family. The first photos and a video message from him have already appeared online.
Abduction and Pressure from Occupiers
Russian troops abducted the former mayor on April 18, 2022. His wife reported that on that day Volodymyr received a call from a friend inviting him to a meeting. Shortly after, he made one last call home, but the line went silent, and he never reappeared.
Initially, Mykolayenko was held in Kherson, where he appeared in several propaganda videos. Despite the pressure, he openly expressed his pro-Ukrainian stance. In one such video, he stated that Roman Shukhevych is a Hero of Ukraine, as the state had officially awarded him that title. Later, he was likely transferred to Crimea or Russia.
Resilience and Refusal of Exchange
In May 2025, it became known that back in 2022 Mykolayenko had refused his own exchange in favor of a gravely ill Ukrainian prisoner. After that, the Russian side excluded him from the swap lists for a long time.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that the former mayor was being held in Russian captivity, though his exact fate remained unknown for months.
Background
Volodymyr Mykolayenko served as mayor of Kherson from 2014 to 2020. He was an active participant in the local Euromaidan movement, strongly supporting Ukraine’s European course and opposing any attempts to destabilize the city. He became known as one of the politicians who firmly resisted the possibility of Kherson being taken over by pro-Russian groups.
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