Vladimir Vitkov Belarus man caught on video picking up 18 month old Iranian boy and slamming him headfirst into the ground at Russia’s Sheremetyevo airport after the boy and his mother fleeing the conflict involving Israel. Child left with serious injuries. No known motive.
Horrifying video has emerged of a man violently slamming an 18 month old Iranian toddler boy onto the ground at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, leaving the infant in a coma.
Vladimir Vitkov, 31, hailing from Belarus (and allegedly also living in Israel) was caught on CCTV footage in the arrivals hall nonchalantly looking at the boy before suddenly picking up the child who stood along a suitcase and violently slamming the boy headfirst onto the hard airport floor, leaving the 2 year old with serious injuries.
A Jewish Belarusian man,Vladimir Vitkov,violently assaulted an 18-month-old Iranian toddler at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, slamming him headfirst onto the floor.
The child, who had fled war-torn Iran with his pregnant mother, is in a coma with skull and spinal injuries. pic.twitter.com/BPtE0Sx4PI— عطااللہ خان آفریدی🇦🇪🇵🇰(القدس في العیون) (@AK_Afridi1) June 25, 2025
The episode which took place on Tuesday, June 24 occurred after the boy, Yazdan having just arrived in Russia with his pregnant mother, fleeing conflict in Iran via Afghanistan, KYIV POST reported.
The boy, who suffered a fractured skull and spinal injuries, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. His mother was reportedly just meters away, collecting the child’s stroller, when the assault took place. Witnesses quickly intervened, stopping Vitkov and alerting authorities.
According to Russian media, Vitkov had arrived in Moscow the same day, reportedly flying in from either Cyprus or Egypt. The man is reported to recently been fired from a job as a construction worker at a nuclear power plant after failing a drug and alcohol test.
Reports inferred that Vitkov may have been on the same flight as the boy and his mom fleeing war torn Iran.
The incident led to Russian officials launching an attempted murder investigation, along with probing potential motives, including racial hatred (it is alleged Vitkov is Jewish) and drug influence.
At the time of his arrest, Vitkov is alleged to have confessed, ‘I attempted to murder a child.’
Traces of cannabis were found in Vitkov’s system, and additional drugs were reportedly discovered on him. During questioning, Vitkov vaguely admitted to past legal troubles, saying, ‘I made mistakes like that.’
Vitkov’s female travel companion was reportedly in shock, with the woman saying the man has a daughter around the same age as the victim.
Stated Moscow Region Children’s Ombudswoman Ksenia Mishonova in the aftermath:
‘A drug-addled monster grabbed a toddler in the arrivals hall and threw him on the floor with all his might….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.’
Tuesday’s episode comes as thousands have attempted to flee Iran after the outbreak of the most recent war with Israel on June 13.
The boy who was initially induced into a coma is expected to survive and will not require neurosurgical treatment, according to the Daily Mirror.
Sheremetyevo airport is Russia’s busiest, handling more than 40 million passengers and over 300,000 flights annually.
