Ten Ukrainians released from Russian captivity with Vatican mediation

Ten Ukrainians Held Prisoner in Russia Released with Vatican Mediation

In a heartwarming development, ten Ukrainians who had been held prisoner for years in Russia were finally released on Friday with the mediation of the Vatican, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.

The group of released individuals arrived at Kyiv International Airport, which had been closed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with some coming by helicopter overnight and others by bus. This marked the first time in over two years that the airport received passengers.

Among the group was Nariman Dzhelyal, deputy head of the Mejlis, a representative body of Crimean Tatars who had been living in Crimea despite the annexation by Russia. He was taken from Crimea one year before the war began.

In a poignant moment at the airport, former prisoners wrapped in blue and yellow flags reunited with their families after years of separation. One such reunion was seen through a video call, as Isabella Pekh, the daughter of freed art historian Olena Pekh, expressed her joy at finally being able to see her mother again.

Olena Pekh had been held captive in the occupied part of the Donetsk region for almost six years, during which Isabella tirelessly advocated for her release at international conferences and with foreign ambassadors. Her persistence paid off as her mother was among those freed on Friday.

“It was six years of hell that words cannot describe. But I knew I had my homeland, I had people who loved me, I had my daughter,” said Olena Pekh.

The group also included two priests, one of whom, Bohdan Heleta, had been detained inside his church in the occupied city of Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region in 2022.

While over 3,000 Ukrainians have been released from Russian captivity, there are still many more who remain imprisoned, both civilians and military personnel.

The release of these Ukrainians is a glimmer of hope in the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the importance of international mediation and the power of perseverance in reuniting families torn apart by war.