OSCE SMM staff member Vadym Golda deported to Russia

Vadym Golda’s family has reported that he was transferred from temporarily occupied Donetsk region to Medical Correctional Institution No. 7 of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service in Tambov Oblast. Reports of his likely transfer had emerged earlier: before the transfer, Vadym was last in contact on 15 October 2026 and expected to be moved on 19 October.

Russia has thus deported all three detained OSCE staff members. Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov were already transferred to penal colonies in Omsk and Chelyabinsk in 2025.

The Medical Correctional Institution No. 7 is designated for the detention and outpatient treatment of convicts with active tuberculosis, alcoholism and drug addiction. The reason for Vadym Golda’s transfer, and whether his placement in a medical facility is linked to his state of health, remain unknown. According to his family, Vadym has never had tuberculosis and has no history of alcohol or drug addictions. Russia must immediately inform his family, Ukraine and the OSCE of the grounds for his transfer and of his state of health, including through the human rights ombudspersons, and grant the ICRC access to him.

The deportation of protected persons from occupied territory violates the Fourth Geneva Convention (Arts. 49 and 76) and may amount to grave crimes. Prolonged transfers, harsh conditions of detention and severely limited contact with their families pose serious risks to the lives and health of all three.

Russia must immediately release Vadym, Dmytro and Maksym. We call on Ukraine, the OSCE, OSCE participating States and other states involved in negotiations on the release of detainees and committed to achieving a lasting peace to coordinate their efforts as a priority and to ensure the exchange of information in order to secure the immediate release of Dmytro Shabanov, Maksym Petrov and Vadym Golda.