A family who believed their son was dead for two years actually learned he is alive after spotting him in a photograph.
Valeriia Biletska and Roman Biletskiy were told their 25-year-old son, Roman Jr, died two years ago after he was captured in the Ukraine-Russia war.
The parents, who have found refuge in Bonney Lake, Washington, after fleeing the conflict in February 2022, told KIRO 7 News that Russian soldiers had captured Roman in Mariupol when he re-joined the army to defend his country.
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Roman was reportedly defending civilians in the war-ravaged city in May 2022 when he was taken.
Russia's assault on Ukraine forced the parents and their seven children to flee their hometown in Kherson to Poland.
The parents said that, while they were happy they got their children to safety, they felt 'guilty' leaving their eldest son behind.
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Valeriia said: “I realized that we are not going home soon on the first day when we arrived to the United States. We were very happy that we got our children out of this danger that they are not hearing explosions."
The father added: "We made a decision to go to the United States when we were in Poland.
"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.
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"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."
The family said they later received a letter from the Ukrainian government, informing them that their son had been killed in action.
Valeriia said 'as a mother', she felt the news couldn't be true, believing still that he was alive.
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Then, miraculously, the family spotted a photograph shared by Ukraine's media on Monday, which showed their son sitting at the back of the bus.
Roman has apparently been freed from a Russian prison.
His mother said: "I felt like I was reborn again. It was like seeing the sun for the first time. I was very happy now that he’s safe. He’s not in danger."
Roman Jr then managed to call his elated parents, saying: "Mom, don't cry. Mom, I'm at home."
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His release appears to come as part of a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, which saw almost 190 Ukrainians freed, from military personnel to guards and civilians, according to the Associated Press.
Valeriia is now planning on flying back back to Ukraine to reunite with her son and bring him back to the US, according to a fundraiser.
The fundraiser also claims Russian soldiers took over their town, killing their sister-in-law and torturing their three-year-old nephew.
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The family also said Roman is still recovering from significant injuries he has sustained during the war.
Topics: Russia, US News, Ukraine, Washington, World News
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