Oleksandr
Babych

After the occupation of Hola Prystan, Oleksandr Babych continued to fulfill his mayoral duties for over a month. This included organizing humanitarian aid, overseeing patrol groups, and participating in anti-war rallies with his family.

Due to his prominent position, Oleksandr received threats from local Russian sympathizers. On March 28, 2022, he was abducted from his home by the Russian military.

Oleksandr was forcibly taken to the local administration building, where he encountered 15 unmarked Russian soldiers who treated him aggressively before escorting him in an unknown direction.

The Russian authorities deny any knowledge of Oleksandr’s detention. However, journalist Andriy Sokov reports that Oleksandr is being held in the Simferopol pretrial detention center.