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“It’s terrible. Cloves in the food. Daily hits. Mock executions,” Alexandrov said.
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Alexandrov is from Detroit and had been living in Ukraine for the last few years with his family working as a farmer when, in April 2022, he was ripped from his home by Russian soldiers and accused of being an American spy.
“They pulled me out of the shower. They dragged me in front of my family. He wasn’t dressed. I was beaten in front of my family,” Alexandrov said.
Alexandrov was held captive for approximately 40 days. According to the indictment, in one case, they forced Alexandrov to the ground, placed a gun to his head, then moved the gun slightly and fired a bullet just above his head.
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It was his mother who was able to get in touch with Project Dynamo’s Bryan Stern, who devised a plan to save him, strategically leading the project dubbed Operation Detroit Lions on Victory Day in Russia.
“They don’t pay attention to it and watch all the parades and everything else, so we time the operation, the precise movement of the operations, particularly for the V-E holiday, which has been a big key to our success,” said Stern, founder and CEO of Project Dynamo.
The video of Project Dynamo at the moment Alexandrov is brought to safety. Today, more than a year later, he is still amazed by everything that happened to him.
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“I surrounded the most destitute and terrible human beings on this planet, and then 24 hours later, I surrounded the most honorable, brave and wonderful human beings on this planet,” Alexandrov said.
Throughout the ordeal, Alexandrov said there were times while in captivity when he was able to communicate with Stern, who he said eventually helped him out.
“He spoke with a genuine tone, so there was a strong level of trust. Though I felt hopeless and lost during that time, he was still there though he wasn’t with me,” Alexandrov said.
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Alexandrov now lives with his family in Detroit as he awaits surgery to repair nerve damage he suffered during his time in captivity.
As for the four Russian soldiers accused of torturing him, they’re charged with torture, inhumane treatment and unlawful confinement. For now, these charges are largely symbolic as it is unlikely the DOJ will be able to bring any of these defendants who are now fugitives to justice.