Do you have arms, legs, everything? How I love you, my golden son - mum waited for her son, who had already been buried two years ago, to return from captivity. The incredible story of the return

on 5 February, a serviceman from Lviv Region, Nazar Daletskyy, returned from captivity as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange between Russia and Ukraine.

He had long been thought to have been killed.

Our fellow countryman, who had long been considered dead, is returning from captivity. We are talking about a resident of the village of Bolshoy Doroshev of Kulikivka community Nazar Daletsky, - wrote the head of Lviv OVA Maksym Kozitsky.

Nazar Daletsky is a participant of the ATO. With the beginning of full-scale war he went to defend Ukraine. Served in the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Daniel.

In May 2022 Nazar stopped contacting. At first he was considered missing. Later the family was informed that he died in Kupyansk district of Kharkiv region on 25 September 2022 - on his birthday, - said Kozitsky.

The headman of Velikodoroshevsky Starostynsky district Oksana Kukhar in a comment to "Suspilny" said that the man, who was believed to be Nazar Daletskiy, was buried in 2023 with the date of death on 25 September 2022.

Notification of his death according to the results of DNA came in May 2023, and accordingly he was buried then with all honours in the village of Big Doroshev in the cemetery, - said the headman.

According to her, the mother of the serviceman took a DNA analysis, after which the message came that Nazar had died.

Like everyone else, the military enlistment office brought home to the mother a notice that her son had died. This was according to the medical certificate. And in July 2025, the first news that he was alive came from one of those released from captivity, - said Oksana Dorosh.

In July 2025, another serviceman, who returned from captivity, reported that Nazar was alive. In August, this information was confirmed by another soldier, and in October - by a third.

Later, two more soldiers who returned from captivity confirmed that Nazar was alive. After that, his relatives began to apply to the Coordination Headquarters.

And in October 2025, when another exchange took place, another prisoner of war confirmed that before that he had been transferred to that colony. And the relatives were already actually waiting for an official report. The Russian side confirmed that he was in captivity, and literally two months ago even his sister sent him letters, but whether they reached - it is unknown - said the head of Velikodoroshevskyi Starostynskyi district.

The Your Misto publishes in Facebook an incredibly emotional video, where Nazar's mum communicates with him for the first time after so many years of captivity.

Do you have arms, legs, everything? How much I love you, my golden son, Nazarchik, we have been waiting for you for a long time! - The warrior's mother sobs into the phone.

As you know, on 5 February, 157 people - among them servicemen and civilians - returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. The same number of people were handed over to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Among those released are soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, national guards and border guards. Most had been in captivity since 2022. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets noted that among them are 18 military men sentenced by the Russians to long prison terms, as well as a warrior who turned 28 on 4 February.

Dmytro Lubinets added that those released are in a difficult psychological state, some are critically underweight, but all are happy to return home.

Zelenskyy said on the eve of the exchange that Ukraine expects an exchange of prisoners of war after the first day of trilateral talks.