Russian forces disappeared Chornobaivka resident, lorry driver Oleksandr Strohan nearly four years ago, his whereabouts remain unknown

Russian forces detained Oleksandr Strohan, a resident of Chornobaivka in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, in August 2022. He was taken from the right-bank part of the Kherson Oblast along with other civilian detainees. His whereabouts remain unknown, his wife, Olha Strohan, told ZMINA.

Oleksandr Strohan

She says she has repeatedly contacted various Russian authorities to find out where her husband is. However, this has brought no results. The only response she received was that his case is classified.

“We have sent more than 20 requests to Russia. The defence ministry said they had no such person. The prosecutor’s office said his case is classified“, she says.

Ukrainian authorities have told Olha Strohan that they currently have no information about her husband’s whereabouts.

“It’s a terrible situation – the uncertainty is eating us alive. He has asthma, and we don’t know what condition he is in or whether he is being given medication. Probably not. It feels like we’re getting nowhere”, Strohan says.

Before the full-scale war, Strohan, a lorry driver from Chornobaivka, worked abroad but returned home after Russia’s invasion.

Temporarily occupied Chornobaivka was strategically important to Russian forces due to its airport. Their positions near the settlement were regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces, prompting troops to look for so-called spotters among local residents – carrying out searches and detaining civilians.

Olha and Oleksandr Strohan

On August 10, 2022, Russian soldiers came to the Strohans’ home and abducted Oleksandr’s wife, Olha. She was taken to a temporary detention centre in Kherson, where she was held hostage. She was later released. Since then, Olha has been searching for Oleksandr.

In October 2022, before withdrawing from the right bank of the Kherson Oblast, Russian forces took a group of civilians, including Oleksandr Strohan. His place of detention remains unknown. He has asthma and depends on regular access to inhalers.

Keep up with ZMINA on X, BlueSky, and LinkedIn – and help us improve by answering a few quick questions here about our English-language coverage.