Great-grandson of Soviet strongman taken prisoner in Ukraine

The family history of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev has taken an unexpected turn decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian media outlet BAZA said that Brezhnev’s great-grandson has been captured by Ukrainian forces while serving in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

The individual, identified as Anton Milaev, was born and built his career in Ukraine, a republic to which Brezhnev himself was closely connected during the Soviet era.

Milaev is described as the adopted grandson of Brezhnev’s daughter, Galina Brezhneva, who reportedly raised him as her own.

According to the report, the 45-year-old enlisted last autumn and served as a combat engineer, or sapper. He reportedly lost contact with his family in November, prompting concerns about his whereabouts.

His mother, Irina Kuznetsova, told the publication that several months later the family received information indicating that her son was being held in captivity by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

No official confirmation of Milaev’s status has been publicly reported by the Russian or Ukrainian authorities.

By Vafa Guliyeva