Vladimir Vitkov is a Belarusian tourist who recently went viral after carrying out a brutal and unprovoked attack on a toddler at a Russian airport, find out more below as the attack video goes viral
The disturbing incident was reportedly captured on surveillance footage, and it took place just minutes after the child and his mother arrived in Moscow.
Who is Vladimir Vitkov as video of Belarusian man attacking Iranian toddler Yazdan in Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow goes viral
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A Belarusian citizen attacked a child at the Sheremetyevo airport Khimki city Moscow Oblast, Russia.The footage shows a male picking up the child & throwing him onto the concrete.
The child suffered a fractured spine & cranial injury.
He is in a coma in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/TmjRjO2MOx— NoHoldsBarred (@AussieSteve64) June 24, 2025
Never leave your most precious out-of your hands in public!!!!!!
🔴🟠🟡🔵 POTOK publishes the moment of the attack on a 2-year-old boy at Sheremetyevo. The inadequate person, who flew in from Afghanistan, threw the kid on the floor with all his might.
The footage shows… pic.twitter.com/94RbjH1XyJ
— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐙 🇷🇺 🇷🇺 (@SMO_VZ) June 24, 2025
Following the attack, the one-and-a-half-year-old boy is currently in a coma with life-threatening injuries.
Vladimir Vitkov biography
Vladimir Vitkov is a 31-year-old Belarusian national and construction worker who is currently making international headlines after allegedly assaulting an 18 month old toddler at a Moscow airport. Prior to the incident, there were publicly not many details known about Vitkov’s background. According to Russian authorities, Vitkov had just recently arrived in the country from Egypt and worked as a construction worker at a nuclear plant. He is believed to be married and has a daughter of the same age as the child he attacked.
Earlier, Vitkov had been fired from a nuclear power plant construction job in Egypt after failing a spot check for drugs and alcohol, and was returning home via Moscow.
His behavior at the airport had reportedly raised immediate red flags, and authorities reportedly found cannabis in his system post-arrest. Vitkov reportedly has a daughter around the same age as the victim, further intensifying public backlash.
Just minutes earlier, the child had arrived in Russia after he and his mum fled the bombs raining down on Iran and Yazdan, aged 18 months, is now fighting for his life with serious skull fractures and spinal injuries. The child, his mother and Vladimir were all the on same flight with Vladimir admitting he attempted to murder the child.
The child’s brain was not damaged and he is now out of a medically-induced coma.
The boy’s mother is Hajizada Sahar and she is currently pregnant. Dr Tatyana Shapovalenko, chief doctor at the Roshal Children’s Centre, Moscow, said: “The child was admitted with a severe craniocerebral injury. He has an open fracture of the skull bones, a fracture of the base and vault of the skull, a subdural haematoma.”
She said he did not require neurosurgical treatment.
Reports said cannabis had been found in his possession and there were traces of the drug in his blood and he had drunk three bottles of whisky and obtained cannabis in Cairo before the incident.
Video of Belarusian tourist slamming a toddler
Surveillance footage from the arrivals hall at a Moscow airport captured a horrifying moment when 31-year-old Belarusian tourist Vladimir Vitkov picked up a toddler and slammed him violently to the ground. The child’s mother, pregnant at the time, had briefly stepped away to retrieve a stroller. In her absence, Vitkov approached the child, lifted him without warning, and slammed him down with full force. The boy suffered skull fractures and severe spinal trauma. The footage quickly went viral, prompting widespread disgust and fury.
Reason behind the attack
As of now, authorities have yet to confirm a clear motive, but early reports suggest that Vitkov may have been under the influence of drugs. Authorities found cannabis in his blood, and he also reportedly carried additional substances. Investigators are also examining whether the attack had a racially motivated angle, as the child’s family had recently arrived from Iran after fleeing conflict zones through Afghanistan.
Official police reports
According to reports, Russian police immediately detained Vitkov and opened a case for attempted murder. Moreover, the severity of the child’s injuries has also led to public demands for harsh legal consequences. Ksenia Mishonova, who represents the Children’s Ombudswoman for the Moscow Region, condemned the act, calling the attacker
A drug-addled monster.”
She further expressed her sorrow and support for the victim’s family and stated:
May the parents have the strength to survive this.”
Reaction from netizens
Here are The Facts 🤙🏽
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Tourist Attacks Toddler at Moscow Airport⁰June 23, 2025⁰Moscow, Russia
Facts:
On June 23, 2025, Vladimir Vitkov, a 31-year-old Belarusian tourist, violently threw an… pic.twitter.com/qW1jGKd2E0— The Facts Dude (@The_Facts_Dude) June 24, 2025
The horrifying act has ignited all kinds of debates around airport security, drug enforcement, and the treatment of refugees in Russia. One user posted:
I don’t care what drugs he was on—this man should never see freedom again. What kind of monster targets a child like that?”
Another user commented:
The fact that he has a daughter himself makes this even more disturbing. Absolute evil.”
Meanwhile, another user wrote:
Security at airports should be better than this. How did someone so visibly unwell get this far?”