Ukraine marked its Independence Day with a major prisoner exchange, freeing journalist Dmytro Khyliuk after three years in Russian captivity, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to continue resisting Moscow’s invasion.
WEBDESK, MediaBites — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked Ukraine’s Independence Day on Sunday with a defiant pledge that his country will continue resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion, as Kyiv also celebrated the release of a journalist who had been secretly held by Moscow for three years.
The Independence Day holiday, commemorating Ukraine’s separation from the Soviet Union in 1991, carried added significance this year as the war entered its third brutal summer. In a televised address, Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would never accept Russian occupation and emphasized that “our independence is not just a date on the calendar — it is the life of every Ukrainian, and we will fight for it.”
The occasion was marked not only by speeches and rallies, but also by a symbolic breakthrough: a large prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. According to officials in Kyiv, dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were returned home in exchange for Russian captives. Among those released was Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who had been detained in secret by Russian forces since 2022.
Khyliuk, a reporter for the news agency UNIAN, had been missing since the early months of the invasion. Human rights groups repeatedly demanded his release, accusing Moscow of violating international law by holding him without due process. His freedom on Independence Day was hailed as a victory for press freedom and a morale boost for Ukrainians.
“This is a day of pride and resilience,” said Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff. “Our soldiers are returning home, and our journalist is free. Russia cannot erase our will to live as a free nation.”
While the prisoner swap offered relief to many families, fighting continued along the eastern front, where heavy shelling was reported. Zelenskyy acknowledged the sacrifices but urged Ukrainians to remain steadfast.
“Ukraine’s independence was not given,” he said. “It is being defended every day, and we will endure.”
