For nearly four years, Nazar Daletskyi existed only in memory for his family. They believed he had been killed in action during the war in Ukraine and buried him after a body was identified as his.
Newsonspot gathered that they mourned him, said their goodbyes, and learned to live with the pain of losing a loved one.
Then, everything changed with a phone call.
Nazar was on the line – weak, exhausted, but alive. He had just been released from Russian captivity in a prisoner exchange.
His mother, Nataliya, described the moment as overwhelming. Her first questions were instinctive and emotional – whether he still had his arms and legs, whether he was whole.
“My golden child,” she cried. “I have been waiting for you for so long.”
The family had accepted his death after DNA results matched a badly burned body recovered from a destroyed bus in south-eastern Ukraine. They held a funeral and tried to move on.
But last year, a newly freed Ukrainian soldier contacted the family, claiming he had seen Nazar alive in prison. The news sounded impossible, and without proof, they struggled to believe it.
Until this week.
From Ukrainian soil, Nazar finally called home after three years and nine months in captivity.
Now, the family is undoing their mourning – removing funeral posts from social media and taking his photo down from a memorial of fallen heroes in their village. An investigation has been launched to understand how the misidentification happened.
For now, Nataliya is focused on preparing for her son’s return. She is cooking his favourite meals and waiting for the moment she can hug him again.
Around 70,000 people are officially missing in Ukraine, most believed to be soldiers. While many may never be found, Nazar’s story is a rare and powerful symbol of hope.
“I wish all mothers and children could get a call like we did,” Nataliya said. “This happiness.”
She is no longer waiting to mourn – but to hold her son again.
