He returned from captivity, but did not survive: Valeriy Zelenskyi, a soldier released during the exchange, died
8 July 18:35
Less than a month after his release from Russian captivity, 57-year-old Ukrainian soldier Valeriy Zelensky died. He spent more than three years in captivity and returned home on May 25 as part of a large-scale 1000-for-1000 exchange. The cause of his death was the consequences of severe torture he suffered during his imprisonment. This was reported by Suspilne Donbas, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Zelensky was from Sievierodonetsk and served in the 53rd separate mechanized brigade. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he voluntarily joined an assault group to support the defenders of Mariupol, but was captured.
His daughter Valeriya said that he was first held by DPR militants, then he had contacts with Wagnerites. “The torture was not just cruel, but inhuman. But he held on thanks to Kyokushinkai and discipline,” she recalls.
Despite the promises that he was included in the exchange lists, other soldiers with the surname Zelensky were returned from captivity several times. It was only in the spring of 2025 that Valeriy returned home, where he saw his two granddaughters and, for the first time, his newborn grandson.
However, his condition quickly deteriorated. His daughter noted that a medical report confirmed that her father had been subjected to almost all known forms of torture. He had numerous injuries, his arm did not work, and a few weeks after his return, the man was in intensive care with organ necrosis. Doctors were unable to save his life.
“You are torn apart – from the pain of loss and at the same time from relief that he is no longer suffering,” said the deceased’s daughter.
This is not the first time that soldiers released from captivity have died shortly after their return. In June 2025, Dmytro Shapovalov and Serhiy Dobrovolsky passed away, both of whom also could not withstand the consequences of being in Russian captivity.
