Ahead of Easter on 11 April, Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange. A total of 175 military personnel and 7 civilians were brought home. Many of those returned had been held in Russian captivity since 2022, including defenders of Mariupol.
Among those who waited for their friends and closest to come back is Kateryna. She had not seen her husband since the beginning of the full-scale war, Channel 24 reported.
She saw her loved one for the first time in four years
Kateryna last saw her husband Serhii on 24 February 2022. They met at the start of the invasion together in Berdiansk, and that same evening, he left with his unit to defend Mariupol.
By 27 February, Berdiansk was occupied by Russian forces, and Kateryna spent some time under occupation before managing to leave.
She had attended previous prisoner exchanges, welcoming other defenders who survived Russian captivity. But this time, she says, she was finally lucky herself. For the first time in four years, she saw her husband via video call as he was returning to Ukraine.
“At first, I didn’t even recognize him — he had changed so much, lost a lot of weight. He used to weigh around 100 kilograms,” Kateryna recalled.
The last time she was told, a year ago, he was 75.
"But in the video, he was talkative, said he loved me, and that he would be home soon," he said.
“I saw him” — lifetime in single moment
Kateryna’s emotions when she saw her husband through the bus window are difficult to describe.
“I saw him on the bus, and he saw me. Then he got off, and I hugged and kissed him. We had just a second, but he knew I was waiting for him,” she shared.
She also shared the happy news with their son, who stayed home with their cat and dog. Kateryna jokes that her husband is now awaited at home by “three children.”
