Ukrainian Teenager, Believed Missing, Found Fighting Against Ukraine in Russian Army Ranks
Human rights activists call this the first confirmed case of its kind.
19-year-old Oleksandr Mustyatse from the village of Krynky, Kherson region, whom Ukraine considered abducted and missing, was spotted in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces. His story was told by the 'Back to Ukraine' project, which is involved in searching for Ukrainian children deported or taken by Russia, writes Astra.
Mustyatse disappeared in 2022, shortly before his 15th birthday, when Russian troops occupied Krynky. He was added to the state registry 'Children of War,' which tracks the fate of missing minors. His social media page had not been updated since November 16, 2025 — Back to Ukraine activists seriously feared he might have died.
Recently, activists found his page on VK: there, Mustyatse posts photos in Russian army uniform with 'Z' symbolism and the Russian tricolor, pictures from positions, and in one of the later photos — with a bandage, probably after being wounded. «We have established: Oleksandr is not missing. He is fighting. On Russia's side. Against Ukraine,» — states the Back to Ukraine message.
Activists wrote to him directly to find out his motives. Mustyatse replied with only two phrases: «Yes, I'm always for my side. Russia has always been in my heart» — and did not answer further questions.
«In our opinion, even these two sentences are not just a personal stance. This is the result of a global Russian strategy of informational and educational influence on Ukrainian children,» — believe those at Back to Ukraine.
According to Mykola Kuleba, head of the Save Ukraine organization and the Ukrainian President's Commissioner for Children's Rights, this is the first known case where a Ukrainian child, considered abducted, after reaching adulthood, joined forces fighting against Ukraine.
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