Retired Valencia official came to Ukraine to repay debt from Franco’s time. Russia has held him since 2022, and now his Kherson apartment has burned

Mariano García Calatayud, a retired Valencia official, traveled to Ukraine to repay a debt from his time under Franco's rule. In 2022, Russian forces abducted him while they occupied Kherson. Since then, they have held him without charge, allowing him no access to a lawyer or contact with his family. Ukraine's ombudsman estimates Russia holds up to 20,000 Ukrainian civilians, though only a fraction have confirmed identities. Russia has never charged Calatayud with a crime, nor confirmed his holding.

His Kherson apartment burned in a fire that consumed all nearby buildings, according to his partner Tetiana Marina. She received videos showing the fire spreading from her own apartment to those around it. Calatayud volunteered in Ukraine since 2014, delivering humanitarian aid and working with orphanages. His mother's family had been among those repressed under Franco.

When Russian forces took Kherson, Calatayud chose to stay, despite having the option to return to Spain. He was arrested at his home in March 2022, transported to a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, and subjected to severe conditions, including a heart attack. Russia has refused extradition proposals, and the Red Cross is searching for him in penal colonies across Russia, including Siberia.