Serhii Kotov is a civilian hostage of the Russians and a resident of the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. He was abducted by the Russians on April 7, 2022, right from his house.
Victoria Kotova: On April 7, 2022, the FSB surrounded the house where my family lived: my father, my younger sister, and my mother. My father looked out the window and saw a drone flying over the house. A green-clad man was climbing over the fence. He saw my father and shouted: «Come out».
My father emerged and was spotted by other soldiers who were already on APCs. They shouted to open the gate. My father mentioned he would secure the dogs and then join them outside. As he headed towards the enclosure, they held him at gunpoint. He overheard a soldier on the radio remarking, «Are they recruiting only disabled people? He’s on crutches». Subsequently, my father opened the gate, and about 15 FSB officers rushed into the yard, all of them towering at least 1.8 meters tall.
They questioned my father: «Do you know why we are here?» My father responded that he did not but expressed his desire to know. They asserted that if they were there, it was for a reason. Inquired about who was inside the house, my father mentioned his wife and daughter. He pleaded with them not to frighten his daughter, as she was still a child. Upon learning she was 14, they instructed to bring everyone outside and commenced searching the house, garage, and car, scouring every corner.
Later, they ushered everyone into the house and separated them into different rooms. They scrutinized their phones. My father was interrogated about someone named Khromyi. Inside our house, he was struck on the back of the head as the conversation did not go well. They found nothing on my father’s phone, alleging he had deleted everything, to which my father explained he frequently deleted data due to limited phone memory. They did not specify what they were seeking.
Then they demanded my father’s passport and attempted to confiscate it, causing my mother and sister to burst into tears, pleading for them not to take it. They assured my mother he would be returned by evening, advising her to await a call, keep the phone handy, and not disclose anything. Once again, they provided no explanation for taking him, no indication of suspicions or motives — just abduction.
They didn’t even identify themselves. My mother and sister could only see their eyes, hidden behind balaclavas.
Victoria Kotova: We learned much later, in September 2023, that they took my father to a neighboring village, then to Kherson. As they neared the SBU building, they covered his head with a hat to blindfold him. Upon arrival, they instructed him to wait his turn. Inside, they were interrogating a guy regarding a freely available video explaining how to escape occupied territory. They suffocated him with a bag while beating him.
Unable to bear witnessing the brutality, my father intervened, affirming the veracity of the video. In response, the major ordered to subject my father to the same treatment: electrocution and torture. When his blindfold slipped, they re-taped it. Then, the major ordered his execution.
They dragged my father to the SBU building’s garage, shoved him into a car pit, positioned him on his knees, and commenced firing.
Someone taunted him: «Well, Cat, do you remember?» Only acquaintances referred to my father as «Cat».
However, he couldn’t hear well due to his ears being taped shut, and obviously, he couldn’t see anything. They fired shots close to his ear. My father fell ill—he’s disabled and suffers from chronic pancreatitis. During an attack, he requires an IV drip. And that’s precisely what happened. He began vomiting, pleading for help, begging for a doctor. They dragged him outside and provided medical assistance.
For three days, my father endured torture in Kherson. On April 10, he was transferred to Simferopol SIZO No. 1. He remained detained without charges for over a year, in a state of «frozen.»
Anastasia Bagalika: «Freezing» is the term Russians use for detaining civilians without pressing charges. During this time, relatives remain unaware of the person’s whereabouts or their condition.
Victoria Kotova: They targeted my father because they had initially apprehended a man from Kherson who was found to have been exchanging coordinates with my father. They discovered a screenshot my father had sent to this individual.
Viktoriia Kotova: In August 2022, a man contacted me, someone I didn’t know, claiming to be a connection of my father’s. He had been incarcerated but had no pending case and had just been released. He reached out to inform me that my father was being held in SIZO No. 1 in Simferopol. He mentioned another inmate in the same cell with plans for release soon, who would contact me later. Conversations with other inmates’ wives hinted that prisoners from SIZO No. 1 were being moved to SIZO No. 2.
In December 2023, the awaited individual contacted me, confirming the transfer to the SIZO No. 2. He disclosed that my father was there, possibly facing release as a witness in a case, but in need of legal representation. He recommended his lawyer, whom I promptly hired. The lawyer initiated inquiries at the detention center since my father was technically «frozen» there, despite not physically being present.
The lawyer was contractually obligated to represent my father in all court proceedings, including first instance, appeals, and cassation. However, he only attended the initial trial. My father was charged with espionage, triggering investigative procedures. Subsequently, the lawyer became evasive.
Later, we discovered that the charges fell under state secrecy. The lawyer hesitated to sign the secrecy agreement, fearing travel restrictions. He assured me everything was under control but secretly persuaded my father to sign a new contract, nullifying our agreement without my knowledge.
Eventually, he confessed his inability to defend my father in court due to anticipated restrictions, asserting the inevitability of imprisonment regardless of legal representation. When I requested a partial refund to hire another lawyer, he refused, claiming his job was done.
We paid the full fee upfront, as agreed upon: $5,000. He then cut off communication, leaving my mother and me unable to reach him.
My father’s trial took place on September 27, 2023. He was represented by a court-appointed lawyer and subsequently sentenced to 15 years in a high-security facility.
Viktoriia Kotova: Subsequently, we lodged an appeal, and I enlisted the services of another lawyer. This allowed my father and me to establish some form of communication. The new lawyer informed us about a program called Zonatelecom, through which we initiated communication with my father.
The appeal hearing took place on February 13. Unfortunately, there has been no change in the situation. The Russian authorities are intending to transfer my father to mainland Russia.
Viktoriia Kotova: The state authorities remain vague in their response. They suggest initiating proceedings with the International Court of Justice to involve a third party. They acknowledge that the Russians are unlawfully detaining my father, yet I understand that there is no established mechanism for the release of civilians.
Finally, last week, I was contacted by the Coordination Centre. They conducted an extensive interview with me, during which I provided documentation including letters from my father detailing the situation from its inception to his transfer to SIZO No. 2. Additionally, I submitted all relevant disability certificates.
I maintain hope that someday I will receive a call from Yulia Pryimak, and my father’s voice will be on the line.
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