The Korabelnyi District welcomed Borys Kurtenko after 4 years in Russian captivity

In Balabanivka of the Korabelny District of Mykolaiv they welcomed serviceman Kurtenko Borys Oleksandrovych, who returned from Russian captivity.

The event took place on 16 June 2026. Relatives, neighbors, children and concerned residents of the district took to the street. People came with Ukrainian flags, balloons, posters and a korovai to greet the Defender who finally returned home. This was reported from the scene by a Korabelov.info.

According to relatives, Kurtenko Borys spent about 4 years in Russian captivity. He was taken captive on 12 April 2022, when Ukrainian forces were defending Mariupol. Overall the Defender has – 10 years behind him: 6 years of service and 4 years of captivity. Relatives say that he did not evade service, because his mother raised him that way.

For Balabanivka this was not just a moment of joy, but a day when a person who had been awaited for years returned home. After 4 years of Russian captivity the defender of Mariupol is finally home.

Glory to the Ukrainian Defenders.

Glory to those who endured captivity.

Deep respect to the families who waited

Previously we wrote:

• “Help for money” – it’s a trap: scammers are massively targeting families of prisoners and the missing
• “Don’t be silent. Captivity kills”: in Mykolaiv they reminded about prisoners of war and the missing
• Ukraine returned 186 people from Russian captivity, among them defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal
• During the exchange on April 24, 8 prisoners of war from Mykolaiv region returned — nearly fifty in recent times
• After captivity and a fabricated “life sentence”: an officer from Mykolaiv region received the “For Resilience” award