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Ukrainian Border Guard Reunites With His Service Dog After Three Years in Russian Captivity
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![Amira_barkhush]( "Photo of Amira Barkhush")
Ukrainian border guard Denys has reunited with his service dog Zhili after spending three years in Russian captivity. The dog was rescued from Russian-occupied territory.
The reunion was reported on June 29 by Radio Svoboda and the humanitarian group Humanity from Nova Kakhovka, which helps evacuate civilians from occupied areas of the Kherson region.
Denys and Zhili had been stationed together near the administrative border with Crimea. On February 24, 2022, Russian forces shelled their position, surrounded the unit, and took the Ukrainian border guards prisoner.
Zhili was ordered to be released, but the dog kept trying to jump into the military truck that was taking the captured away. Denys admitted he never believed he would see his dog again.
The dog remained in occupied territory the entire time. At first, Denys’s parents cared for her, but they were eventually forced to evacuate. Without proper documents, it was impossible to take the dog with them.
Although the humanitarian group Humanity typically focuses on evacuating people, they made an exception in this case. After coordinating all the necessary logistics, the team managed to bring Zhili back to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Denys is currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. Volunteers say that after he recovers, he hopes to work alongside Zhili to support others—especially veterans with PTSD.
On June 26, Ukraine brought home another group of defenders from Russian captivity as part of the ongoing large-scale prisoner exchange, held in accordance with the Istanbul agreements.
