Title: Tragic Fate of UkrainianTeen: Aleksandr Yakuschenko Dies by Suicide in Russia
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Aleksandr Yakuschenko, a Ukraine – Wikipedia”>Ukrainian teenager forcibly relocated to Russia during the occupation of the Херсон region, ended his life by suicide in early 2024. His passing was reported by "Important Stories".
Before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Yakuschenko lived in a foster family-style children’s home in the settlement of Токаревка, near Hérson, under the care of Lyudmila Sharvarly. After the occupation of the settlement, Sharvarly allegedly collaborated with Russian authorities. When the Ukrainian military liberated Hérson, she fled to the Krasnodar region in Russia with the children in her care.
In Russia, the children were initially placed in a temporary accommodation facility in the village of Kuchugury. Sharvarly renounced her guardianship, and Yakuschenko was taken in by the family of Natalia and Aleksandr Lukashenko in the settlement of Akhtanizovskaya.
Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed that Yakuschenko had been under their guardianship for only a month before he turned 18, absolving them of responsibility. "He was just living here. We fed him, you can’t throw a guy out, he had nowhere to go," Lukashenko said.
Yakuschenko, then 18 years and 7 months old, committed suicide, hanging himself a few kilometers from his foster home. The forensic expert who examined the body reported that Yakuschenko likely changed his mind at the last moment and attempted to free himself from the noose.
Before his death, Yakuschenko sent a voice message to his friends, expressing his despair. "I’m no use to anyone here. They’ve made that clear. I’m ruining everyone’s life. I can’t… I’m going to hang myself… If I wasn’t here, none of you would have any problems. I wish I’d never come here. This is unbearable. I don’t know what to do," he said, according to the voice message obtained by the publication.
Yakuschenko’s sister, Kristina, also remains in the Krasnodar region under the care of another foster family. The family’s guardian declined to speak with journalists. In Ukraine, the siblings are listed as missing.
The report by "Important Stories" adds to the growing list of human tragedies stemming from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the forcible relocation of children to Russia.