Kherson Mayor, Igor Kolikhayev, has been held captive for almost half a year

Ihor Kolikhayev is the mayor of Kherson. In spite of the full-scale invasion and occupation of the city, he did not leave his post.

Kolikhayev said: “I have to keep the team together, if I leave then tomorrow everyone will scatter and the city will fall into decay. We will stick together, waiting until Kherson is liberated”.

The Russian military abducted him on 28 June 2022. Since then, Kolikhayev’s loved ones have not had any contact with him. Ihor’s son, Svyatoslav, learned some details about his father’s situation through those who managed to escape from captivity.

As stated by these sources, Igor Kolikhayev was first held in Kherson, then in Hola Prystan, then transferred to Kalanchak. According to the latest information, he is in Chaplynka.

The captives who saw Igor Kolikhayev say that he is in very poor physical condition: he is sick, weak, thin and exhausted. The Russian military denies him food and forbids anyone from sharing food with him. They likewise refuse to accept warm clothes or medicines sent to Kolikhayev.  

We would like to remind you that the  #WinterMarathon2023 persists. And we urge you to take part in it. To do this, you need to follow three simple steps:

1) Choose a story of someone who is in Russian captivity at https://bit.ly/3WD4vBA. We are constantly adding new ones.

2) Post this story with photos on your social networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok) adding the hashtags:  #WinterMarathon2023 #WinterMarathon #ReturnThemHome #PrisonersVoice

3) Tag international organizations, such as the United Nations International Committee of the Red Cross, OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe or representatives of foreign governments. For example, the president, prime minister and ombudsman of the country you live in.

We are certain that each of these stories will leave its mark on you.