June 25, 2025
In a harrowing act of violence that has shocked the world, an 18-month-old boy—fleeing war-torn Iran with his pregnant mother—was violently slammed headfirst onto the floor of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport by a Belarusian man, leaving the child in a coma with life-threatening injuries.
The attacker, identified as 31-year-old Vladimir Vitkov, was captured on CCTV appearing to scan his surroundings before seizing the toddler and hurling him to the ground with chilling force. The boy, named Yazdan, suffered severe skull fractures, spinal trauma, and internal bleeding, according to doctors at Moscow’s Roshal Children’s Centre.
A White Belarusian-Israeli Zionist Jew Vladimir Vitkov violently assaults 18mth Iranian toddler slamming him headfirst to the floor. But it’s Black/Brown people & Muslims & immigrants who are targeted as the problem. This Zionist deliberately goes to the child to cause harm.… pic.twitter.com/a3sUS6dlSm
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) June 25, 2025
The child’s mother, Sahar Hajizada, had just arrived in Russia after a perilous journey through Afghanistan, fleeing Israeli bombardments in Iran. She was reportedly collecting her son’s pushchair just feet away when the assault occurred.
Eyewitnesses intervened immediately, restraining Vitkov until authorities arrived. He was arrested on the scene and is now under investigation for attempted murder. Toxicology reports confirmed the presence of drugs in his system, and Russian investigators say he was in a state of drug intoxication at the time of the attack.
Russian officials have described Vitkov as a “drug-addled monster.” Ksenia Mishonova, Moscow Region’s Children’s Ombudswoman, stated:
“All this is incredibly difficult to bear. I hope the detained monster will receive the full severity of the law. I wish the child a speedy recovery. May the parents have the strength to survive this.”
The Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, condemned the attack as “completely inhuman.” While some online have speculated about the attacker’s religious identity, Jalali clarified that no official confirmation has been made regarding such claims.
This incident has ignited global outrage—not only for its sheer brutality but for what it reveals about the vulnerability of refugee families in international transit zones. Sheremetyevo Airport, one of the busiest in Russia, is now under scrutiny for how such a violent act could occur in a supposedly secure area.
As Yazdan fights for his life, the world watches in horror—and demands answers. How could a child who had already survived war and displacement become the target of such senseless cruelty in a place meant to offer safety?
