Less than month after exchange, soldier Valerii Zelenskyi died. He was held captive by Russian Federation for over 3 years. PHOTOS
Less than a month after returning from Russian captivity, 57-year-old soldier Valerii Zelenskyi died.
This is stated in the material of Suspilne Donbas, Censor.NET informs.
He was held captive by the Russian Federation for more than three years and returned home as part of a 1000-for-1000 exchange.
It was May 25, 2025. Less than a month later, on June 16, his heart stopped - the 57-year-old man's body could not withstand the torture, his daughter said.
Valerii Zelenskyi was born in Ukraine, but for some time, including during his school years, he lived in Russia.
He studied inorganic chemistry in Siverskodonetsk, where he met his future wife. Later he got a job in the police. After leaving law enforcement, Valerii tried to run a business, but later joined the army. Over time, while serving in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Valerii was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, his unit was a help for the guys who were standing in Mariupol. They were transporting weapons and so on, they were preparing them. And they realized that something was going on. They saw a lot of weapons, but they were not armed themselves. They had no helmets, no bulletproof vests, no basic assault rifles, they had nothing.
"When the offensive began, they were told that they needed volunteers to go on the assault. Out of forty, eight said: "We are leaving." My father was one of eight. He was a sapper and had to mine the bridge. He was told: "Don't worry at all, the National Police is there, they are waiting for you, everything will be fine." He arrived. And they were really waiting for them. And everything looked good, because everyone speaks Russian. But it turned out that they were not talking to their own people," the defender's daughter said.
On May 25, 2025, the soldier's family learned that Valerii had been brought home.
In captivity, Valerii was tortured, and returned to Ukraine with several injuries, including a non-functioning shoulder and arm.
Doctors assumed that he had pancreatic problems and actively treated him. Later, he underwent surgery, during which it was found that all his internal organs were "disintegrating".
Valerii died on June 16, less than a month after his release from captivity.
