This week, another exchange of prisoners of war took place between Ukraine and Russia. Among those released and returned to their homeland was volleyball player Nikita Kaliberda (not to be confused with German international Denis Kaliberda, who is also of Ukrainian origin, editor's note), a player for "Burevestnik-ShVSM" (Chernihiv).

The news was confirmed by the local sports portalSport, which is also cited by the Polish siatka.org. According to the information, a total of 84 people - military and civilians - were returned within the exchange.

Kaliberda, who was mobilized during the war, spent three years in captivity. Upon his return, he was met by his former teammates from "Burevestnik-ShVSM" (Chernihiv) - Bohdan Tatarenko, Denys Kopych, and Maksym Nikolaychuk.

Ukrainian sports media emphasize that this is an important moment not only for his relatives and teammates but also for the entire local volleyball community, which closely follows the fate of athletes who have endured severe trials off the court.

photo:sport.ua