Dmytro Katsy, a resident of Mariupol, has spent 1,000 days in Russian captivity. His family does not know where he is being held.
Source: Svoi.City
Author: Hanna KURTSANOVSKA
On the eve of the full-scale invasion, soldier Dmytro Katsy from Mariupol celebrated his son’s birthday with his family. Then, on the morning of February 24, the command of the 56th Separate Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade summoned him to his military unit. While communication was still possible, the family exchanged letters. But in early March, contact was lost. Dmytro was taken prisoner by the Russians at the Ilyich Steel Plant. He has now been in captivity for 1,000 days. During this time, he has been able to send his family only one letter. The story of the 35-year-old defender was shared with “Svoi” by his wife, Kateryna Katsy, and her cousin, Iryna Shabatura.
“We became friends after my mother’s
death.” Kateryna and Dmytro met in 2010 in their hometown of Mariupol. They have two children—14-year-old Sofia and 6-year-old Roman. Dmytro worked as a repair mechanic at the Azovstal steel mill.
Iryna Shabatura recalls how she first met Dmytro. She heard about him from her cousin, and later Kateryna introduced them.
“To be honest, at first our relationship wasn’t great because we both have fiery tempers. But everything changed in 2016, after my mom passed away. When all my relatives were busy with their own lives, Dmytro was always there for me on my days off.
I remember coming back from a night shift—I was working in the gas shop at Azovstal at the time—and he’d come all the way from the Left Bank just to have coffee
with me. And then there was a chance encounter: on February 23, 2018, again on my way home from work, I ran into him at the bus stop. Dmytro’s eyes were just glowing. I asked, “What’s up? Why are you here?” And he said, “I’m just having some coffee and then heading to the maternity ward—my wife’s giving birth.” We laughed that Katya didn’t want to greet any guests, since I was supposed to come over with my family that evening. Later, when I was pregnant, he joked, “Let’s register the baby under my name so we’ll pay less for utilities.” That’s how he wanted to cheer me up,” Irina said.
In 2019, Iryna quit her job at Azovstal and left Mariupol to work in the Czech Republic. When she returned, she received some news—Dmytro had decided to defend Ukraine and had joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In April 2020, he began serving in the 56th Separate Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade as a maintenance crew foreman.
His son’s birthday, and the Russian
invasion the very next day On February 23, 2022, Dmytro was at home with his family; they were celebrating their son’s fourth birthday.
“But the next morning, his commander called him and ordered him to report to his duty station due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. We celebrated our son’s birthday in the village and stayed there, while Dmytro went to Mariupol,” his wife said.
As long as there was electricity, we talked on the phone or texted each other. Kateryna last spoke with Dmytro on March 1.
“The village where we stayed had already been occupied by the Russians. We lived without electricity, the internet, or cell service. We hid from the shelling with the children in the cellar. After a while, the authorities began conducting checks and searches of the homes of military personnel’s families. I wasn’t spared either—there were searches and interrogations,” Kateryna says.
Iryna and Dmytro last saw each other on February 26. She told him then: “Pack the essentials, take your wife and children, and go to a safe place.” The soldier replied that he wouldn’t do that. He was staying to fight the Russians for his native Mariupol.
“We exchanged a few messages; the last one from him was dated March 2. Then there was another one on March 14, the day before we left Mariupol,” Irina said.
Irina and Dmytro’s correspondence | Photo: personal archive
From Occupation to the Search for Her Husband
In April, electricity and internet service began to be restored in the occupied village where Kateryna was staying. The first person to contact her was Dmytro’s sister, who had evacuated from Mariupol to Germany.
“Together, we started searching for my husband online. In May, I came across lists of prisoners of war who had been taken from the Illich Plant. My beloved’s last name was on that list. Later, we found a video of him being interrogated,” Kateryna recalls.
At that point, the family decided to leave the occupied territory. In June, Kateryna and her children went through Russian screening and arrived in Kyiv. In the capital, she began contacting various authorities to find out where Dmytro was being held.
“In July, a month after I started reaching out, I began receiving responses. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that my husband is being held captive in Russia. In the nearly three years since Dmytro has been behind bars, I’ve received only one letter from him. His health is poor. The latest information from the men who were exchanged was that my husband had been transferred from Kamensk-Shakhtinsky to another prison colony, but it’s unknown exactly which one. “I am 100 percent certain that Dmytro has never once been included on the exchange lists; they’re just ‘feeding’ me promises,” says Kateryna.
We love him very much and are waiting for him!
The children miss their father terribly. Especially Roman. He keeps asking his mother when Daddy will come home.
“My husband is the meaning of my life, my rock and my support. We love him very much and are waiting for him!” says Kateryna.
Twelve days before the war broke out, Iryna was visiting the Katsy family. She says they had a wonderful time together.
“What I remember is that Dmytro said there’s no such thing as pink dolphins. ‘I’ll find them for you—just come back! We’re waiting for him; every time we exchange messages, my heart skips a beat. I think, “This time he’ll definitely be with us,” but unfortunately…’ says Iryna Shabatura.
Author: Hanna KURTSANOVSKA
On the eve of the full-scale invasion, soldier Dmytro Katsy from Mariupol celebrated his son’s birthday with his family. Then, on the morning of February 24, the command of the 56th Separate Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade summoned him to his military unit. While communication was still possible, the family exchanged letters. But in early March, contact was lost. Dmytro was taken prisoner by the Russians at the Ilyich Steel Plant. He has now been in captivity for 1,000 days. During this time, he has been able to send his family only one letter. The story of the 35-year-old defender was shared with “Svoi” by his wife, Kateryna Katsy, and her cousin, Iryna Shabatura.
“We became friends after my mother’s
death.” Kateryna and Dmytro met in 2010 in their hometown of Mariupol. They have two children—14-year-old Sofia and 6-year-old Roman. Dmytro worked as a repair mechanic at the Azovstal steel mill.
Iryna Shabatura recalls how she first met Dmytro. She heard about him from her cousin, and later Kateryna introduced them.
“To be honest, at first our relationship wasn’t great because we both have fiery tempers. But everything changed in 2016, after my mom passed away. When all my relatives were busy with their own lives, Dmytro was always there for me on my days off.
I remember coming back from a night shift—I was working in the gas shop at Azovstal at the time—and he’d come all the way from the Left Bank just to have coffee
with me. And then there was a chance encounter: on February 23, 2018, again on my way home from work, I ran into him at the bus stop. Dmytro’s eyes were just glowing. I asked, “What’s up? Why are you here?” And he said, “I’m just having some coffee and then heading to the maternity ward—my wife’s giving birth.” We laughed that Katya didn’t want to greet any guests, since I was supposed to come over with my family that evening. Later, when I was pregnant, he joked, “Let’s register the baby under my name so we’ll pay less for utilities.” That’s how he wanted to cheer me up,” Irina said.
In 2019, Iryna quit her job at Azovstal and left Mariupol to work in the Czech Republic. When she returned, she received some news—Dmytro had decided to defend Ukraine and had joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In April 2020, he began serving in the 56th Separate Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade as a maintenance crew foreman.
His son’s birthday, and the Russian
invasion the very next day On February 23, 2022, Dmytro was at home with his family; they were celebrating their son’s fourth birthday.
“But the next morning, his commander called him and ordered him to report to his duty station due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. We celebrated our son’s birthday in the village and stayed there, while Dmytro went to Mariupol,” his wife said.
As long as there was electricity, we talked on the phone or texted each other. Kateryna last spoke with Dmytro on March 1.
“The village where we stayed had already been occupied by the Russians. We lived without electricity, the internet, or cell service. We hid from the shelling with the children in the cellar. After a while, the authorities began conducting checks and searches of the homes of military personnel’s families. I wasn’t spared either—there were searches and interrogations,” Kateryna says.
Iryna and Dmytro last saw each other on February 26. She told him then: “Pack the essentials, take your wife and children, and go to a safe place.” The soldier replied that he wouldn’t do that. He was staying to fight the Russians for his native Mariupol.
“We exchanged a few messages; the last one from him was dated March 2. Then there was another one on March 14, the day before we left Mariupol,” Irina said.
Irina and Dmytro’s correspondence | Photo: personal archive
From Occupation to the Search for Her Husband
In April, electricity and internet service began to be restored in the occupied village where Kateryna was staying. The first person to contact her was Dmytro’s sister, who had evacuated from Mariupol to Germany.
“Together, we started searching for my husband online. In May, I came across lists of prisoners of war who had been taken from the Illich Plant. My beloved’s last name was on that list. Later, we found a video of him being interrogated,” Kateryna recalls.
At that point, the family decided to leave the occupied territory. In June, Kateryna and her children went through Russian screening and arrived in Kyiv. In the capital, she began contacting various authorities to find out where Dmytro was being held.
“In July, a month after I started reaching out, I began receiving responses. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that my husband is being held captive in Russia. In the nearly three years since Dmytro has been behind bars, I’ve received only one letter from him. His health is poor. The latest information from the men who were exchanged was that my husband had been transferred from Kamensk-Shakhtinsky to another prison colony, but it’s unknown exactly which one. “I am 100 percent certain that Dmytro has never once been included on the exchange lists; they’re just ‘feeding’ me promises,” says Kateryna.
We love him very much and are waiting for him!
The children miss their father terribly. Especially Roman. He keeps asking his mother when Daddy will come home.
“My husband is the meaning of my life, my rock and my support. We love him very much and are waiting for him!” says Kateryna.
Twelve days before the war broke out, Iryna was visiting the Katsy family. She says they had a wonderful time together.
“What I remember is that Dmytro said there’s no such thing as pink dolphins. ‘I’ll find them for you—just come back! We’re waiting for him; every time we exchange messages, my heart skips a beat. I think, “This time he’ll definitely be with us,” but unfortunately…’ says Iryna Shabatura.
This is an automatic translation generated by DeepL.
