Released from captivity journalist Khilyuk tells how he was captured by the occupiers

The occupiers detained journalist Dmytro Khilyuk in March 2022 in the Kyiv region together with his father and kept him on the floor in a room without light for several days. He told this in an interview with UNIAN.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the journalist was in the village of Kozarovichi, Vyshgorod district. On March 3, the occupiers grabbed him and his father on the street.

"The day before, our house was hit by a Grad rocket, so there was no door, a wall was broken, and we spent the night at a neighbor's house. In the morning, I went home with my father to inspect the damage and somehow hammer the door so that we could heat the house, because it was still very cold," Khylyuk said.

However, 50 meters from the neighbor's house, they met the invaders. According to the journalist, the Russians were probably coming from some kind of "cleansing" operation, because they had their machine guns ready.

"They pointed a gun at us, put us on the ground, and searched us. We had nothing to take, so they took our cigarettes. I also had some jewelry in my pocket – my mother's, from the Soviet era (I took it from the house, I was afraid they would rob me). The occupiers stole them too. After that, they put jackets on our heads and took us to the so-called warehouses, 400 meters from our house," Khylyuk explained.

He said that he and his father were literally dragged there. Already on the territory, they tightly blindfolded their eyes, hands, and even legs, and threw them into a room without windows and light.

"There, in complete darkness, we lay on the floor for three days. Once a day we were taken to the toilet. The guys who were younger and stronger were afraid, so they were not taken. They also gave us water once a day. And in three days they gave us one small piece of waffle," the journalist said.

He clarified that he and his father were immediately separated. Three days later, Khyliuk was brought to Dymer and held in the basement of the Vynoland company. On the way, he recognized his father's voice. At the same time, the occupiers lied to the journalist that they had released him.

On March 10, Khilyuk was brought to Gostomel, and on March 16, he was taken to Belarus together with other Ukrainians, including prisoners of war.

• On August 24, 2025, Ukraine returned from captivity military personnel and civilians, including journalist Khilyuk.
• The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech reported that as of August 25, Russia was holding 28 Ukrainian journalists and media in captivity.