The last defender of Zmiine returned from Russian captivity

On the evening of July 23, the ninth stage of the prisoner exchange was completed. Among the released servicemen is the last of the defenders of Zmeinyi Island, a soldier of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Vitaliy Gyrenko.

This wasreported by the Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Vitaliy Gyrenko is a resident of Izmail, Odesa region. He has been in captivity for more than three and a half years - since February 2022. Since then, the soldier's family has had no contact with him: his wife said that she was seven months pregnant at the time of her husband's capture, and their son saw his father only in photographs. Earlier in February 2025, in a commentary to Suspilne, Vitaliy Hyrenko's wife said that her husband was the only one who remained in captivity. She learned that Vitaliy was alive later on TV from Russian media.

According to the State Border Guard Service, other Ukrainian soldiers who had been in captivity for more than three years returned from captivity that day, including defenders of Mariupol, as well as fighters from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and other areas.

The exchange took place within the framework of the agreements between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, where it was previously agreed to exchange 1000 for 1000 soldiers and repatriate 6000 bodies of the dead from each side. The released defenders will undergo the necessary medical examination, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as all due payments for the entire period of captivity.

Earlier, the next stage of a large exchange of prisoners in the category of "wounded and seriously ill" in accordance with the Istanbul agreements took place on June 14. Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service returned home.

We would like to remind you that regular actions in support of the families of prisoners and missing persons have been taking place in Odesa for several months now. The organizers explain that we need to gather and unite for the sake of those we are waiting for. The actions are a reminder to the authorities and ourselves of the importance and history of each individual name.

Катерина Глушко