Previously captured sailor, rescuer from Luhansk Oblast detained by Russians — for the second time in last four years

In Svatove, Yevheniy worked in the fire and rescue detachment of the local State Emergency Service unit. He stayed in the village to the last to help people.

"Today it emerged that Yevheniy Semydotskyi was detained and imprisoned by the Russians in March. For the second time in the last four years," Haidai said.

Previous detention

The head of the regional military administration recalls that Semydotskyi was one of the Ukrainian sailors, members of the crew of the "Yani Kapu" tugboat, captured near the Kerch Strait by Russian security forces in November 2018 and illegally detained in Russia.

He returned to Ukraine on September 7, 2019, when a large-scale exchange of prisoners took place between Ukraine and Russia.

Haidai noted that the residents of Luhansk Oblast have been supporting Yevheniy in every possible way during these months. In particular, children from Svatove district joined the nationwide action.

"They made blue-yellow origami ships in the hope that the world community will help Ukrainian sailors return home," he recalled.

Billboards with the image of Yevheniy and words of support were placed in the cities and districts of the oblast, in particular, in Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Troitsk and Svatove districts.

For personal courage and selfless actions shown during military service, loyalty to the Ukrainian people and the military oath, Yevheniy Semydotskyi was awarded the medal "For Military Service in Ukraine". Volodymyr Zelensky gifted him the presidential watch.