© 2026 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our daily newsletter, delivered first thing weekdays, keeps you connected to your community with news, culture, national NPR headlines, and more.

After years in Russian captivity, former mayor of Ukrainian city returns home

After spending most of the full-scale war in Russian captivity, the former mayor of a frontline Ukrainian city recalls his ordeal as he returns to a hometown deeply transformed by modern warfare.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Joanna Kakissis
Joanna Kakissis is a foreign correspondent based in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she reports poignant stories of a conflict that has upended millions of lives, affected global energy and food supplies and pitted NATO against Russia.
Thanks to you, WUSF is here — delivering fact-based news and stories that reflect our community.⁠ Your support powers everything we do.