"Mom, thank you for saving Dad": family meets marine who was brought back home in time for New Year's Eve – photo
Just before New Year’s Eve, Maksym Skutelnyk, a defender of Mariupol who had been in captivity for nearly three years, was brought back home and reunited with his 4-year-old son, who had not seen him since 2021.
Source: Ilona, Maksym Skutelnyk’s wife, in an interview with Ukrainian Pravda.Zhyttia
Details: Maksym, a sailor from the 501st Separate Battalion of the 36th Marine Brigade, was captured on 4 April 2022 at the Illich Steel Plant in the city of Mariupol.
His wife Ilona and son Danil, who last saw his father in December 2021, were waiting for him. They had been attending weekly protests and holding signs that read, "When will Dad hug me?" and "Bring Dad back from captivity".
Quote from Ilona: "Last New Year’s Eve, I wished for my husband to be exchanged by the end of 2024. Unfortunately, it seemed almost impossible."
Details: The very next day, 30 December, she finally saw her husband and hugged him for the first time in nearly three years. Ilona admitted she wanted to cry but couldn’t shed a tear, as if she had cried them all during the years of waiting.
Ilona said she had a feeling that Maksym would be brought back, as her friends dreamt about him shortly before the exchange.
Quote: "I didn’t know Maksym would be part of this exchange, but some women involved in the exchange process hinted at it. I decided to go to greet the freed soldiers. It’s easier to endure the exchange process when you’re among people who get to reunite with their loved ones this time."
Even their son, Danil, seemed to sense his father’s return.
Quote: "A month before the exchange, my son hugged me and said, 'Mom, thank you for saving Dad'. I cried and thought, I didn’t save anyone…
My son and I are regular participants in FreeAzov events, we take an active part in events in support of the marines. I told him: ‘We need to go to the protest so that our dad can go home, can be brought back’. I thought he was confused. But perhaps a child’s intuition was at play."
More details: Currently, Maksym is undergoing medical treatment. Upon his release, he began sharing updates about his fellow prisoners with Ilona, who then relayed the information to their families.
Quote: "My husband’s condition is poor, of course. There are health issues, but he speaks well and we’re already talking about this and that… I know what it feels like when an exchange happens, but your loved one isn’t among those freed. I wanted to support other families and pass on messages from the men still in captivity."
Background: Ilona’s New Year’s wish came true – her husband is free. However, over 1,300 marines who participated in the defence of Mariupol remain in captivity. Ilona urges others to attend weekly protests to keep the focus on those still held and to advocate for their release.
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