Defender of Zmiinyi Island returns from Russian captivity on his birthday
A 28-year-old Ukrainian defender of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island who has been released from Russian captivity returned to Ukraine on 11 June - his birthday.
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
His name has not been disclosed.
The liberated soldier told the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine that he did not believe he would come home until the last moment.
"We got on the bus and spent the whole journey blindfolded. I was thinking, what if something goes wrong? What if the swap gets cancelled or something and we go back? But I had this profound faith that everything would go as planned," the soldier recalls.
He felt relieved only at the border when he set foot on his homeland and saw children waving Ukrainian flags, saluting the liberated soldiers.
"I got lucky - destiny gave me such a birthday present. I cannot express the emotions I felt. I turned my head away and cried. It was like the whole of Ukraine knew it was my birthday," the soldier said.
He added that captivity was psychologically challenging.
"Every night you go to bed and pray, thinking of your loved ones. To everyone who is still in captivity, don’t give up and stay positive, don’t be afraid and don’t lose heart," he said.
Background:
On 11 June, as a result of the latest round of PoW swaps, Ukraine brought back 95 soldiers, including members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard of Ukraine. Some of the released soldiers had been held captive by the Wagner Group and the Akhmat unit, and three of them were not officially recognised as captives by the Russians.
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