Before the full-scale invasion, Ihor Mykhalchuk lived in Chernihiv. When the city came under threat of encirclement, he and his family moved to a nearby summer cottage settlement about 20 kilometers from the city.

On the morning of March 11, 2022, Ihor rode his bicycle to the neighboring village of Yakubivka to buy dairy products for his family. His relatives lost contact with him, his phone stopped responding, and a search began. However, there was no information about what had happened to him.

It later became known that at that time Russian soldiers were stationed near the village, behind a forest. This information was confirmed only after the deoccupation of the Chernihiv region. During the occupation, Ihor’s wife tried to obtain at least some information about her husband by asking Russian soldiers who entered the village. They claimed that they had not detained any civilian man.

In early April 2022, Ukrainian troops entered the village. Over several days, they inspected former positions and searched for a body or any traces of Ihor’s disappearance, but without success. Neither Ihor’s belongings, his bicycle, nor any other traces were found.

Several months after his disappearance, a witness from a neighboring village came forward and reported that he had seen Russian soldiers detain Ihor. The witness also said he heard gunshots, but had no further details.

The family tried to learn Ihor’s fate through acquaintances in Russia, sent inquiries to various institutions, and wrote letters to pre-trial detention centers in Belgorod and Bryansk. In the autumn of 2022, a message was received from Bryansk claiming that Ihor was allegedly alive, but there has been no official confirmation. Appeals to the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, the Russian Ministry of Defense, and requests submitted with the help of a lawyer produced no results.

A missing person report was filed with the police during the occupation. The family received no information from the Red Cross. Ihor Mykhalchuk’s current whereabouts remain unknown, and the reasons for his detention or disappearance are unknown to his family.

Ihor Mykhalchuk is a civilian who worked as a construction worker and suffers from chronic illnesses. He requires regular medical care. Detention in conditions of unlawful imprisonment poses a serious threat to his health, and without proper treatment his condition may significantly deteriorate.

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