Kolyhaiev Ihor Viktorovych

Mayor of Kherson, kidnapped by occupiers and held captive

Born in 1971 in Kherson. Graduated from the Popov Naval Radio Electronics Institute in Saint Petersburg (1995). Agribusinessman, head of LLC "Trading House Prodexim" (grain, petroleum products, reclamation). People's Deputy of the IX convocation from the "For the Future" group. On November 15, 2020 — elected mayor of Kherson from the party "We Live Here" (63.59% in the first round). Founder of the Ihor Kolyhaiev Charitable Foundation (2016).

Refusal to cooperate with occupiers, arrest, and two years in captivity

After the start of the full-scale invasion, he remained in occupied Kherson. Refused to cooperate with the occupation administration — unlike Saldo. In June 2022, the occupiers arrested Kolyhaiev and took him out of the city; since then, he has been held captive by the Russian Federation. There has been media information about his release, which the Kherson City Council officially could not confirm. Regarding corruption proceedings or suspicions — none are recorded in open sources. In 2019, he took on bail the VACU case figure Yaroslav Dubnevych, which critics regarded as a controversial act; however, there were no criminal consequences for Kolyhaiev himself.