Yehor Zhyrovkin, a resident of the village of Husarivka in Izium district, Kharkiv region, disappeared in March 2022 after being detained by Russian troops. His whereabouts have remained unknown ever since.

The village of Husarivka was occupied by Russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Local residents hid in cellars and shelters, while the occupiers set up their positions near residential houses.

On March 13, 2022, Yehor, together with six other men, went to a farm to feed the cows. He worked as a mechanical engineer, was a civilian, and held a pro-Ukrainian stance. After several hours of work, during shelling, the men began to return home. On the way, they encountered a Russian checkpoint set up by the occupiers in a private house. All the men were detained by Russian soldiers. Later, one of them was released – he subsequently told the families about the events of that day.

After the detention, Russian soldiers, together with one of the men, went around the detainees’ homes and took their mobile phones. The occupiers assured them that they would check personal data and that the men would return, but this never happened.

Relatives tried daily to find out where Yehor was, appealing to Russian military personnel in the village, but received no information. Rumors circulated about possible detention or forced labor, but there was no confirmation.

After Husarivka was liberated, only one of the abducted men returned. He testified that he had been held in various cellars with a bag over his head, and that the other men had been shot.

Yehor Zhyrovkin has been entered into the State Register of Persons Missing under Special Circumstances. Burned human remains were found at the site of the former Russian checkpoint. DNA examination confirmed the deaths of two of the five missing men. The fate of the remaining three, including Yehor, remains unknown.

Yehor’s wife appealed to the police, the Coordination Headquarters, and state and international bodies. The information has been entered into the relevant registers, but there is still no new information about his fate.

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