Former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko Released from Russian Captivity

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.

Read also:

Results of the Third Week of August: Minimal Russian Gains and Record Occupant Losses

"They Crawled Out of the Pipe and Immediately Died": How the Ukrainian Armed Forces Crushed the Enemy’s Breakthrough Attempt

Hungarian President removed mention of Russia from post about Mukachevo strike

Parliament restricts access to real estate registries: another step to hide corruption assets

Russia humiliated the US with a strike on the American enterprise in Mukachevo – Linkevičius

Andrii Matiukha Foundation Supports the “Ukrenergo Repair Workers Protection” Project

Zhelezniak: Andriy Yermak Engineered the Dismantling of NABU and SAP