Joy for Washington state family as son they were told was dead is released alive in Ukraine prisoner swap

A family who fled Ukraine when Russia invaded in February 2022 recently learned that the 25-year-old son they thought was dead is alive and well.

Valeriia and Roman Biletskiy, who live in Washington state with their other seven children, said saw their son Roman Jr in a photo of men who had just been released from a Russian prison. 

The parents revealed to multiple local outlets that they were told on December 30 that their son had been released from a Russian prison.

According to a fundraiser set up to help Roman Jr's mother travel to Ukraine to bring him back to the US, Roman Jr was captured in May 2022 while defending civilians in the war-sieged city of Mariupol.

The rest of the Biletskiy family left their home in the southern Kherson region of Ukraine in February 2022. The fundraiser claims that Russian troops rolled tanks into their agrarian town before killing their sister-in-law and torturing their 3-year-old nephew.

'The last two and a half years have been hard on us. We were worried about our son all the time,' Valeriia Biletskiy told KING 5 through an interpreter. 'We were worried about where he was and if they took him too far away, if they were torturing him. What if they killed him?'

Roman Jr's parents first saw a picture of their son on a bus before receiving a phone call from him. According to his father, his first words were, 'Mom, don't cry. Mom, I'm at home. [We are] very happy.'

Roman Jr's release appears to be part of a recent prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, in which 189 Ukrainians were freed. This included military personnel, border guards, national guards and two civilians, the Associated Press reported.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United Arab Emirates for its help in brokering the deal.

Russia's Defense Ministry said 150 Russian soldiers were freed from captivity as part of the exchange.

Roman Jr's parents said their son is still recovering from the significant injuries he suffered during the war, which is another reason the family is raising money.

Roman Sr told KIRO 7 that he struggled with leaving his son behind in Ukraine, adding that the family first fled to Poland before upending their lives to resettle in the west coast of the US.

'It was very hard for me to make this decision. But I understood in that moment, we probably won’t go back to Ukraine soon and I was worried for my son, but as a man, I respected his decision,' Roman Sr said. 

'I knew he was a warrior. I knew he’s strong. I was sure that he could take care of himself although I was worried.'

At one point the family was told in error that Roman Jr was dead. The horrible news came through an official letter from President Zelenskyy, according to the fundraiser. 

They later got confirmation that their son was alive in February 2023, when they saw a picture of him in a Russian prison.

The Biletskiys now run an art and gift shop in Orting. The shop's walls are adorned with Valeriia's art but also a portrait of her son.

Income from the Ukrop-Art Gallery supports the family and local groups looking to send aid back to Ukraine.

The public fundraiser for the Biletskiy family has raised $4,820 in donations so far.