Former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko returned from Russian captivity: what is known about him
25 August 19:07
On Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, the former mayor of Kherson, Volodymyr Mykolayenko, was released during a prisoner exchange with Russia. This was reported by the Kherson City Military Administration.
“He was not broken by captivity. He did not become a puppet in the hands of Russian propagandists,” Mykolayenko said in an official statement.
The Kherson City Military Administration reminded that Mykolayenko was close to the community during the most difficult periods, in particular, during the Revolution of Dignity and subsequent Russian aggression.
“The release of Volodymyr Mykolayenko is a joy for his family, friends and the entire Kherson community. This is another confirmation that none of our citizens will be forgotten, and we are fighting for everyone,” the MBA emphasized.
How the former mayor ended up in captivity
Volodymyr Mykolaienko was kidnapped by the occupiers on April 18, 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion. The reason was his categorical unwillingness to cooperate with Russian proxies, in particular with the odious collaborator Kyrylo Stremousov, who has now been eliminated.
According to Volodymyr Mykolayenko’s wife, he received a call from an acquaintance at around 4 p.m. and offered to meet. After that, the former mayor called her again, but the connection was poor – the conversation was almost inaudible. Since then, he has not been in touch.
In the first period after his disappearance, Mykolayenko probably stayed in Kherson. This was confirmed by the videos spread by Russian propaganda channels in which he was present. In one of them, the former mayor noted that Roman Shukhevych fought for Ukraine, not on the side of the Nazis, as the author of the video tried to present, and that the state, having recognized him as a hero, granted him the appropriate status.
Later, Mykolaienko was probably transferred to the temporarily occupied Crimea or to the territory of Russia. Until the end of November 2022, nothing was known about his whereabouts.
Only later did representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross officially confirm that he was being held in Russian captivity.
Refused to be exchanged for another prisoner
In May 2025, it became known that back in 2022, Volodymyr Mykolaienko voluntarily refused to participate in the exchange to give a seriously ill Ukrainian prisoner of war a chance to return home. After that, according to sources, Russia no longer included him in the exchange lists.
Political life of Volodymyr Mykolayenko
Volodymyr Mykolayenko was the mayor of Kherson from 2014 to 2020. Known for his pro-Ukrainian stance, he has repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s aggressive policies since the beginning of the war in Donbas.
He was elected to this position in the early mayoral elections in Kherson on May 25, 2014. Subsequently, following the results of two rounds of regular local elections on October 25 and November 15, 2015, he was re-elected mayor of the city.
Prior to that, he served as Secretary of the Kherson City Council and acted as Mayor. He is currently non-partisan. He took an active part in the events of Euromaidan. During the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in eastern Ukraine, Kherson became an important frontline city. Volodymyr Mykolayenko took a strong position to prevent destabilization of the situation in the city and to counter possible attempts of its capture by terrorist groups.
