The occupiers abducted truck driver Oleksandr Strogan in August 2022. At the time of the full-scale invasion, he was abroad, but returned home after learning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chornobaivka, occupied at the time, was a strategically important settlement for the Russian army because of the airport located there. Due to the constant and accurate shelling of Ukrainian troops, the occupiers were looking for gunners among local residents, searching and detaining civilians. This was reported by the Media Initiative for Human Rights.
On August 10, Russian soldiers came to the house of the Stroganovs and abducted Oleksandr’s wife, Olga, who was later taken to a temporary detention center in Kherson. When he found out where his wife was being held, Oleksandr went to get her, but he was detained at the same time. Olga was soon released, but Oleksandr remained in custody.
Before retreating from the right bank of the Kherson region, the Russian military took some of the abducted civilians, including Oleksandr Strogan.
It is known that the man was first detained in the Kherson detention center for two months. After that, he was taken to Oleshky for a few days, and from there to Kalanchak, where he stayed from October 29 to June 1, 2023. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Oleksandr’s family is very worried because he suffers from epilepsy and needs constant medical supervision.