Over 1,400 civilians from Kherson region were abducted by Russians: more than half have already been released

Russia is holding hundreds of civilians from the Kherson region. Photo: khersontv.com

As of today, 1,441 civilians from the Kherson region have been confirmed kidnapped or missing as a result of Russian military actions. Of this number, 793 people have already been freed, while the rest remain in captivity.

This was announced during a press conference by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, according to Ukrinform.

He refuted information circulating on social media that the mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhaiev, had allegedly not been included in the exchange lists, calling such statements unfounded.

According to the head of the Regional Military Administration, information about all those kidnapped, including Kolykhaiev and Spanish volunteer Mario (Mariano Garcia Calatayud), has been forwarded to all relevant authorities, including the Central Tracing Agency of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

At the same time, Oleksandr Prokudin stressed that the exchange process does not depend solely on the Ukrainian side, as Russia systematically delays and blocks these procedures, using them for manipulation.

Recall that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine aims to resume the process of exchanging prisoners with Russia in 2026.