‘Mom, don’t cry, I’m home:’ Ukrainian refugee family learns that son is alive after almost three years of captivity in Russia
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The 25-year-old soldier was captured by Russian forces in May 2022 ‘while defending civilians in Mariupol’ said family. A Ukrainian refugee family have received the heartwarming news that their son is alive – nearly three years after he was captured by Russian forces while battling the invading forces in his homeland.
![[Roman Biletskiy Jr., 25, (pictured right) was assumed dead after his family was mistakenly notified by letter of his death. But two months later, the Red Cross informed them he was alive]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/10/411979619_227664547025373_9080235222795127285_n.jpg)
Valeriia and Roman Biletskiy fled to Washington state at the start of the brutal war in February 2022 along with seven of their children. Their other child, Roman Jr., instead remained, and enlisted to defend Ukraine. However, three months later, he was captured by Russian forces and later, presumed dead.
![[Roman Jr., was released in a major prison swap between Russia and Ukraine – an exchange that was partly orchestrated by the UAE]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/10/newFile-4.jpg)
But on Monday 30 December, the couple saw a picture shared by Ukraine’s media that showed their son Roman Biletskiy Jr., 25, alive, and sitting at the back of a bus with a group of men who had just been freed from a Russian prison. Biletskiy Jr. called his family immediately after his release and told his parents: “Mom, don’t cry. Mom, I’m at home.”.
They allege that this included the alleged sexual assault and murder of Valeria’s sister-in-law and torture of her 3-year-old son. Such tragedy prompted their son Roman – who was 22 at the time – to enlist in the Ukrainian military and “defend Ukraine…right away” as per the fundraiser page. Meanwhile, his parents and siblings fled to the U.S. to settle in Orting, Pierce County, shared Cascade PBS.
