After years in Russian captivity, former mayor of Ukrainian city returns home

NPR | By Joanna Kakissis

Published April 1, 2026 at 4:42 AM EDT

After spending most of the full-scale war in Russian captivity, the former mayor of a frontline Ukrainian city recalls his ordeal as he returns to a hometown deeply transformed by modern warfare.

Joanna Kakissis

Joanna Kakissis is a foreign correspondent based in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she reports poignant stories of a conflict that has upended millions of lives, affected global energy and food supplies and pitted NATO against Russia.

See stories by Joanna Kakissis

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