Serhii Cherniaiev

The 57-year-old psychiatrist Serhii Cherniaiev from the Kherson region was abducted by the Russian FSB on May 16, 2023. He is still being unlawfully held in a penal colony in Horlivka. His health has deteriorated significantly during his detention.

Case facts:

Identity: Ukrainian psychiatrist

Date of Birth: June 30, 1966

Abducted since: May 16, 2023

Last known location: Village of Nova Maiachka, Kherson region

Report:

Serhii Cherniaiev is a trained psychiatrist who worked 23 years as a doctor and later as the head of a psychoneurological rehabilitation clinic. He also served as a district council member in Oleshky and was active in his community and faith. From 1984 to 1986, he served in Afghanistan, reaching the rank of reserve major. At the time of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was already retired.

On May 15–16, 2023, Russian FSB and military police searched his home. He was accused of collaborating with the Ukrainian armed forces and “discrediting” the Russian army.

On May 16, 2023, Serhii was unlawfully detained and held for ten days in a local police station, where he was interrogated and pressured. He was last seen on May 27, 2023, in the village of Henhyrka in Henichesk district, Kherson region, in a prison by the sea. His family had no news until February 9, 2024, when a former detainee confirmed he was being held in a penal colony in Horlivka, Donetsk region.

State of health:

Serhii suffers from several chronic conditions: circulatory disorders, transient ischemic attacks, a slipped disc, chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers, psoriasis, radiculitis, hemorrhoids, and periodontitis. According to a former inmate, he has lost significant weight and suffers from extensive skin rashes during detention.