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The 18-month-old boy was left in a coma after a tourist violently slammed him to the ground inside a Russian airport.
In a horrifying act caught on camera, a man picked up a toddler and threw him down with such force that the child suffered skull and spinal injuries. (IMAGE: MASH/X)
A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was left in a coma after a tourist at a Russian airport picked him up and slammed him to the floor in a shocking act of violence.
According to the Sunwho first reported the news, the child suffered skull fractures and spinal injuries in the unprovoked assault, which took place moments after he and his mother arrived in Russia.
The horrific incident, caught on surveillance footage that has not been publicly released, took place at the arrivals hall of a Moscow-area airport. However, footage of the incident was later released on social media outlets by Russian news agency Mash.
😱😱😱A Belarusian citizen attacked a child at the Sheremetyevo airport Khimki city Moscow Oblast, Russia. The footage shows a male picking up the child & throwing him onto the concrete.
The child suffered a fractured spine & cranial injury.He is in a coma in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/TmjRjO2MOx
— NoHoldsBarred (@AussieSteve64) June 24, 2025
Witnesses say the attacker appeared to scan the surroundings before lifting the toddler, who was standing beside a small suitcase, and slammed him down with force.
The boy’s pregnant mother had stepped away briefly to retrieve a pushchair when the assault occurred, the Sun said.
Russian media outlets identified the accused as Vladimir Vitkov, a 31-year-old man from Belarus.
They said the family had arrived in Russia after fleeing from Iran, having travelled through Afghanistan to escape the ongoing US-Israel bombing campaign. Investigators are probing whether the attack was racially motivated or driven by other factors, the Russian news media outlets further added.
Vitkov had also arrived in Russia recently, reportedly flying in from Cyprus or Egypt. Police said they suspect he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack.
Ksenia Mishonova, Moscow Region’s Children’s Ombudswoman, condemned the incident in strong terms.
“A drug-addled monster grabbed a toddler in the arrivals hall and threw him on the floor with all his might… All this is incredibly difficult to bear. I hope the detained monster will receive the full severity of the law. May the parents have the strength to survive this,” Mishonova was quoted as saying by Russian news outlets.
Traces of cannabis were found in the suspect’s blood, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Other reports claimed drugs were found on his person as well.
Authorities said Vitkov was unable to explain his actions. When asked if he had a criminal record, he told police, “I made mistakes like that.”
Russian news media outlets also said Vitkov has a daughter the same age as the boy he allegedly attacked. A woman described as a close friend of the suspect was reportedly “in shock” over what had happened.
The suspect has been taken into custody and is now under investigation for attempted murder.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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