TL;DR
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Ukrainian citizen Liubov Rozhanska was released from detention in Kazakhstan on October 4 after being held at Russia’s request on an attempted-kidnapping charge. Her lawyer says she later left Kazakhstan for Odesa; the dispute concerns her grandson, whom Ukrainian courts ruled should live with his father.
Liubov Rozhanska, a Ukrainian citizen detained in Kazakhstan at Russia’s request over an alleged attempt to take her grandson, was released on October 4, her lawyer Alexei Pryanishnikov told the outlet Vot Tak. Pryanishnikov said she later left Kazakhstan for Odesa, following a dispute over the child’s custody and residence.
Pryanishnikov said Rozhanska’s detention period had expired and that no pretrial restriction had been imposed, so she was released from the detention facility. Afterward, she spent several days on the grounds of the Ukrainian embassy before departing Kazakhstan. The report did not specify the date she left for Odesa.
Rozhanska had flown from Istanbul to Kazakhstan in early October to meet her grandson, who was expected to be brought from Russia, according to her lawyer’s account as reported by Meduza. The boy’s mother had taken him from Ukraine to Russia in 2021. Pryanishnikov said the boy’s father had agreed to a temporary trip, but the child and his mother did not return to Ukraine and later obtained Russian citizenship.
Russia’s Federal Security Service directorate in the Kaliningrad region, where the mother and boy live, had sought a court arrest warrant for Rozhanska on an attempted-kidnapping charge. She was detained at the airport in Astana after arriving from Istanbul. Her lawyer argues that she was acting in line with Ukrainian court rulings that said the boy should live with his father.
A Custody Dispute Across Borders
The case brings a family custody dispute into the legal systems of Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. Rozhanska’s detention followed a Russian request while she was in Kazakhstan, even though her lawyer says Ukrainian courts had ruled that the child should live with his father. The release ends her period in detention, but does not resolve the underlying disagreement over where the boy should live or who may arrange his return.
The case also illustrates how a cross-border family dispute can lead to criminal allegations and detention in a third country. The reported facts do not establish whether Kazakhstan made any finding about the kidnapping allegation; Pryanishnikov’s explanation is that Rozhanska was released because the detention period expired and no pretrial restriction had been set.
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How the Child Came to Russia
According to Pryanishnikov, the boy’s mother took him from Ukraine to Russia in 2021. The father had permitted a temporary trip, but the mother and child remained in Russia and later obtained Russian citizenship, the lawyer said. The account does not include responses from the mother or Russian authorities.
Pryanishnikov said Ukrainian courts, including the Supreme Court of Ukraine, ruled that the boy should live with his father. Relatives of the mother later contacted Rozhanska and offered to hand the boy over to her in Kazakhstan, according to the lawyer. Around the same time, the FSB directorate in Kaliningrad sought a warrant accusing Rozhanska of attempted kidnapping. Her arrival in Astana from Istanbul led to her detention at the airport at Russia’s request.
“The detention period had expired. Since no pretrial restriction had been assigned, she was released from the detention facility.”
— Alexei Pryanishnikov, Rozhanska’s lawyer, speaking to Vot Tak
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The Custody Case Remains Unresolved
The available report does not say whether Kazakhstan formally closed the case, whether Russia has withdrawn its request, or whether any further legal restrictions could be imposed on Rozhanska. It also does not provide the full text or dates of the Ukrainian court rulings, or explain how those rulings relate to the child’s Russian citizenship and current residence.
The child’s present whereabouts and plans are not independently detailed in the report. Claims about the temporary travel agreement, the offer by relatives to hand him over, and the purpose of Rozhanska’s trip are attributed to her lawyer; the mother’s account and responses from Russian and Kazakhstani officials were not included.
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Further Legal Steps Remain Unknown
Rozhanska has left Kazakhstan for Odesa, according to her lawyer, but no next court hearing or other legal step was identified in the report. The immediate unresolved issue is whether the family’s custody dispute will proceed through further legal action and how any Ukrainian rulings will be addressed across borders.
Further information from Rozhanska’s legal team, the child’s mother, or authorities in Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine could clarify the status of the attempted-kidnapping allegation and the arrangements for the boy. Until then, the confirmed development is her release from detention, not a final resolution of the custody dispute.
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Key Questions
Who is Liubov Rozhanska?
Liubov Rozhanska is a Ukrainian citizen who traveled to Kazakhstan to retrieve her grandson, according to her lawyer. She was detained there after arriving in Astana from Istanbul at Russia’s request.
Why was Rozhanska detained?
Russia’s FSB directorate in the Kaliningrad region had sought an arrest warrant accusing her of attempted kidnapping. Her lawyer disputes that account and says she was acting under Ukrainian court rulings concerning where the boy should live.
When was she released?
Her lawyer told Vot Tak that Rozhanska was released on October 4, 2026, after her detention period expired and no pretrial restriction had been assigned.
Where did she go after her release?
Pryanishnikov said Rozhanska spent several days on the grounds of the Ukrainian embassy and then left Kazakhstan for Odesa. The report did not give the date of her departure.
Has the custody dispute been resolved?
No resolution was reported. Her release ended her detention in Kazakhstan, but the available information does not say whether the attempted-kidnapping case is closed or what will happen next in the dispute over the boy’s residence.
Source: rss
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