From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Russian soldiers have been abducting villagers in Zaporizhia en masse. One of the missing was a young man with a law degree. He disappeared on February 27, 2022, in his native village while visiting friends.

He was probably detained at a checkpoint, as a large number of Russian equipment was entering the settlement at that time. Soon, his relatives saw a photo of the young man in military uniform on pro-Russian Telegram channels, which only increased their fears. Later, it was confirmed that the boy was being held in Russian colonies - first in the Vladimir region, and then in Mordovia. This was reported by the released Ukrainian soldiers who were there with him. According to them, the conditions of detention were inhumane: people stood in cells for days, without walks, with terrible food. Despite everything, he is holding out, although he is very worried about his relatives. The family filed applications with the police, the Red Cross, the SBU, and the Coordination Headquarters. In 2023, the aggressor country confirmed the fact of detention through the ICRC.

The Coordination Headquarters' personal account still indicates that the guy is in Mordovia. No official charges have been brought against him, and his health is unknown.

"We have not received any documents or explanations. The only thing we know is that he is still in captivity. We are fighting to return him home," the relatives say.

This story is yet another proof of Russia's systematic kidnapping and illegal detention of Ukrainian civilians.

At the request of the detainee's family, the story has been anonymized. This documentation project is supported by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC). The views and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the NHC.

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