Former Kherson mayor freed in prisoner swap after over three years in Russian captivity

Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko has been released from Russian captivity as part of a 146-for-146 prisoner exchange, Ukrainian officials and media reported on Sunday. Mykolayenko, who led the city from 2014 to 2020, was abducted by Russian forces on April 18, 2022, after refusing to cooperate with occupation authorities.
Following the full-scale invasion, Mykolayenko joined the local territorial defense forces. He received collaboration proposals from Kyrylo Stremousov, a high-profile collaborator who was later killed, but rejected them. After his refusal, he was taken prisoner.
During his captivity, Mykolayenko was featured in Russian propaganda videos. In one instance, when prompted by a propagandist, he affirmed that Ukrainian nationalist leader Roman Shukhevych was a hero who fought for Ukraine. He was subsequently transferred from occupied Kherson to the Russian Federation and was later confirmed by the Red Cross to be held in a Russian correctional colony.
In May 2025, reports surfaced that Mykolayenko had turned down a previous opportunity for exchange in 2022, giving his spot to a critically ill fellow prisoner. Following his release on August 24, Ukraine's Independence Day, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, posted a video of the former mayor extending holiday greetings to Ukrainians.