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7/13/2025, 12:12:41 PM
Family of Forcibly Mobilized Ukrainian Man Fear for His Life After He Vanishes in Russian Custody
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The wife of a Ukrainian man from the occupied city of Horlivka says she fears for his life after he was detained by Russian police and disappeared, resurfacing only in a vague report from a military unit that he is "at a training ground."
Oleksandr Ahapov, 45, who was forcibly mobilized by pro-Russian forces in 2022, has been missing for over a week after being transported toward the front lines. His family believes he is being sent into combat as punishment, despite a severe leg injury that, according to medical documents seen by reporters, left him unable to walk without assistance.
His wife, Natalia, says their ordeal highlights the perilous situation for Ukrainians conscripted by Russia in occupied territories. Mr. Ahapov was handed a summons on the street in February 2022 and assigned to units of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). He never signed a contract or voluntarily joined the military.
While on leave in January 2023, he fell into an open manhole while seeking cover from shelling, sustaining a serious injury to his left leg. Medical records show he underwent surgery for a tense hematoma. His wife said he received inadequate care afterwards. Fearing he would be sent back to the front while still injured, Mr. Ahapov left his unit in August 2023 and travelled with his family to Russia's Samara region to seek proper medical treatment.
This act placed him on a federal wanted list. On 27 June 2025, he was stopped by traffic police in Samara and detained.
According to his wife, what followed was a bureaucratic nightmare. Police refused to provide detention papers, referring her to the military commandant's office, which also declined to provide information. For two days, Mr. Ahapov was held at a military base in Samara without any formal legal process.
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The wife of a Ukrainian man from the occupied city of Horlivka says she fears for his life after he was detained by Russian police and disappeared, resurfacing only in a vague report from a military unit that he is "at a training ground."
Oleksandr Ahapov, 45, who was forcibly mobilized by pro-Russian forces in 2022, has been missing for over a week after being transported toward the front lines. His family believes he is being sent into combat as punishment, despite a severe leg injury that, according to medical documents seen by reporters, left him unable to walk without assistance.
His wife, Natalia, says their ordeal highlights the perilous situation for Ukrainians conscripted by Russia in occupied territories. Mr. Ahapov was handed a summons on the street in February 2022 and assigned to units of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). He never signed a contract or voluntarily joined the military.
While on leave in January 2023, he fell into an open manhole while seeking cover from shelling, sustaining a serious injury to his left leg. Medical records show he underwent surgery for a tense hematoma. His wife said he received inadequate care afterwards. Fearing he would be sent back to the front while still injured, Mr. Ahapov left his unit in August 2023 and travelled with his family to Russia's Samara region to seek proper medical treatment.
This act placed him on a federal wanted list. On 27 June 2025, he was stopped by traffic police in Samara and detained.
According to his wife, what followed was a bureaucratic nightmare. Police refused to provide detention papers, referring her to the military commandant's office, which also declined to provide information. For two days, Mr. Ahapov was held at a military base in Samara without any formal legal process.
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