Nazar Daletskyi's family were sure the soldier had been killed in action. In 2023, they'd buried his body in the village cemetery, in western Ukraine. But Nazar has just phoned his mother, weakened and exhausted - but very much alive. He has been released from Russian captivity in the latest prisoner swap.
'My emotions were so strong, the soldier's mother Nataliya told the BBC, still reeling from the shock. The joy of all the family at that first call, captured on video, is overwhelming.
Nataliya asks her son whether he's intact, 'You have your arms, your legs, everything?' she wants to know. 'My golden child, I have been waiting for you so long.' Nazar's cousin, Roksolana, is screaming and jumping for joy in the background.
'It was so strange because my son had died, I buried him, but here's his voice. Can you imagine the emotions of a mother? Happiness. Great happiness. I could not hold back my tears,' Nataliya said.
The full story of Nazar's return from the grave is extraordinary, especially in a country at war where good news is precious. When Russia launched its invasion in 2022, Nazar went straight back to the front, having already fought in 2014.
But in May of that year, he went missing in action. Nataliya received a call from a man speaking Russian who said Nazar had been captured, but no details were given. The family had no official news until a year later when they were informed of a body identified in a morgue, leading them to assume Nazar was dead.
They held a funeral and grieved, returning to their lives until last September when a released Russian prisoner told them he had seen Nazar alive in captivity. A week later, a call came in from Nazar himself, now back on Ukrainian soil. His story presents a beacon of hope in a conflict that has left many families searching for their loved ones.
Nazar's returning home is a moment of joy reflected in his mother's preparations of homemade meals in anticipation of their reunion. As they reminisce and share their overwhelming emotions, Nataliya wishes every mother and family might experience a similar joyous surprise.
'My emotions were so strong, the soldier's mother Nataliya told the BBC, still reeling from the shock. The joy of all the family at that first call, captured on video, is overwhelming.
Nataliya asks her son whether he's intact, 'You have your arms, your legs, everything?' she wants to know. 'My golden child, I have been waiting for you so long.' Nazar's cousin, Roksolana, is screaming and jumping for joy in the background.
'It was so strange because my son had died, I buried him, but here's his voice. Can you imagine the emotions of a mother? Happiness. Great happiness. I could not hold back my tears,' Nataliya said.
The full story of Nazar's return from the grave is extraordinary, especially in a country at war where good news is precious. When Russia launched its invasion in 2022, Nazar went straight back to the front, having already fought in 2014.
But in May of that year, he went missing in action. Nataliya received a call from a man speaking Russian who said Nazar had been captured, but no details were given. The family had no official news until a year later when they were informed of a body identified in a morgue, leading them to assume Nazar was dead.
They held a funeral and grieved, returning to their lives until last September when a released Russian prisoner told them he had seen Nazar alive in captivity. A week later, a call came in from Nazar himself, now back on Ukrainian soil. His story presents a beacon of hope in a conflict that has left many families searching for their loved ones.
Nazar's returning home is a moment of joy reflected in his mother's preparations of homemade meals in anticipation of their reunion. As they reminisce and share their overwhelming emotions, Nataliya wishes every mother and family might experience a similar joyous surprise.
