Kazakhstan Detains Ukrainian Woman at Russia's Request; Kyiv Warns Against Extradition

Ukrainian citizen Liubov Rozhanska was detained in Astana, Kazakhstan on October 1 upon arrival. Her lawyers say she had come to retrieve her grandson, whose mother had taken him to Russia in 2021 and later obtained Russian citizenship for both herself and the child. In March 2025, Ukraine's Supreme Court ruled that the child's place of residence should be the city of Odessa, following a lawsuit filed by the boy's father. In July 2026, arrangements were reportedly made for Rozhanska to receive the child in Astana. However, Russian authorities had opened a criminal case against her in 2023 on charges of attempted child abduction. A court in Kaliningrad issued an arrest warrant and submitted an extradition request that Kazakh authorities acted upon. Ukraine's Embassy in Kazakhstan immediately requested that Kazakh authorities reject the Russian extradition request, and consular officials were granted preliminary permission to visit Rozhanska in pre-trial detention. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated it is closely monitoring the situation and working with Rozhanska's lawyers to protect her rights. Officials expressed hope for a fair review of the circumstances by the Kazakh side.