Woman says she was seized by masked soldiers after rejecting a uniformed man's advances

Angelina, who lives in a major Russian border city, recounted that on September 8 a uniformed man tried to engage her in a parking lot, commenting on her tattoos and shouting anti-Ukrainian slurs. After the encounter she noticed the man's car following her before it disappeared. On September 10, as she exited her car at a gym, two masked men in military uniforms seized her, placed a bag over her head, and forced her into a black Nissan.

Inside, a civilian-clothed security officer claimed they had a tip that she intended to join the Freedom of Russia Legion, which fights for Ukraine. Throughout a drive they threatened electric shocks, probed her personal life, and threatened to accuse her of prostitution. They later dropped her near her home, gave her 500 rubles for a taxi, and warned her against reporting the incident. Angelina said the experience left her paranoid, but she has not approached police.