Roman Ishchenko
Date of abduction: April 19, 2022
Place of abduction: Kherson
Roman Ishchenko is a military pensioner and a former employee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s paramedic service. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, his wife left occupied Kherson, and he stayed in the city.
At about five o’clock in the morning on April 19, 2022, four jeeps drove up to his house. Six armed men in military uniforms and one in civilian clothes cut the lock and went inside. Roman’s mother witnessed the events. The man was taken away in his home clothes and slippers and taken to an unknown destination. The house was searched, and his phone and laptop were seized. On the same day, Russians searched his parents’ house.
The mother tried to find her son — she appealed to the occupation commandant’s office and went to the places of detention. However, to no avail. Later, the family learned that Ishchenko had been held for some time in a courtroom and a sobering-up facility on Teploenergetykiv Street. After that, his trail was lost.
Three years have passed, but the family has not received official news about Roman’s fate. During this time, the daughter and wife have been applying to all possible authorities, writing letters, and sending inquiries to find at least something about their husband’s fate. Apart from formal replies, “such a person is not held,” there are no answers.
“At first, it was tough to realize that your father could be kidnapped. But then I didn’t know what it was like to deal with Russians” — says daughter Oleksandra.
In early 2025, a former prisoner contacted the family. He said that he had probably seen Roman in captivity. But the daughter is still unsure whether it was her father: all the prisoners looked too much alike — the same hairstyle, clothes, and exhaustion.
“But I am still very grateful to people who contact families. It is very valuable. This is the only information we have for three years” — says Oleksandra.
This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It’s content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.
