Serhiy and Larysa Ryndovy during their reunion outside a hospital in Kyiv after Serhiy was evacuated on a humanitarian mission from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky to Ukrainian-controlled territory, marking the first time they had seen each other in four and a half years, on Thursday. | REUTERS

Nov 10, 2026

Kyiv – Larysa Ryndova hurried to see her husband as if they were going out on a first date — makeup on and perfume spritzed in the car.

It was the first time she had laid eyes on 68-year-old Serhiy in four and a half years — time he had spent trapped with others in the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine.

“I can’t believe you are here,” Larysa, 72, kept repeating, her mascara smudged with tears after they embraced outside a hospital in Kyiv.

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Source: The Japan Times · Yuliia Dysa

At a glance

Topic
World
Country
🇯🇵 JP
Publisher language
EN
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