Before and after the occupation of Enerhodar, Artur Horbatko worked for the municipal utility company Vodokanal. He lived in the city with his wife and did not tell his son that he planned to leave.

On February 7, 2023, Artur stopped responding to calls. That morning he was supposed to go to work, but his colleagues said he never showed up. No one witnessed his detention, and his car remained where he had left it the day before his abduction.

The circumstances of the abduction are unknown, as no witnesses were found. After Artur’s disappearance, representatives of the occupying army came to the house where he lived. They conducted a search and seized all electronic equipment, without providing any explanation for their actions.

Artur’s wife tried to find out what had happened to him. She contacted various “authorities” and “law enforcement bodies” on the occupied territory, filed complaints, and traveled to other cities. She received no information and was at times directly advised not to ask questions, “as it would be better that way.” No ransom demands were made.

At that time, according to local residents, different units of Russian forces were present in Enerhodar. The family does not know who exactly was involved in Artur’s abduction. The occupation authorities provided no official explanations or documents.

For a long time after his disappearance, there was no information about Artur’s whereabouts. Later, the family was told that during one of the exchanges a former detainee had allegedly heard Artur’s surname and had been held in a neighboring cell with him on the occupied territory. This information has no official confirmation.

Relatives contacted the Ukrainian police, submitted DNA samples, and provided all available data and photographs. Appeals were also filed with the Coordination Headquarters and other state bodies. To this day, the family has received no official information about the fate of Artur Horbatko.

Artur Horbatko is a civilian. He worked as a senior electrical foreman at the municipal utility company and had chronic heart, back, and knee conditions. The family believes that the reason for his abduction may be connected to the position of his son, who assisted the Ukrainian military and is an active serviceman. At present, the whereabouts of Artur Horbatko remain unknown.

The documentation of war crimes is carried out with the financial support of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC). The views and conclusions presented in this publication belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the NHC.

The organization systematically documents war crimes, works to secure the release of civilians, and supports their families.

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