Zenit St. Petersburg’s player, Andrei Mostovoy, bravely resisted an attempted kidnapping outside a local store. The incident occurred on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg, where masked individuals tried to force Mostovoy into a minibus parked near his Mercedes G-Wagon. Fortunately, with the help of his friend Alexander Grakun, a former youth hockey player, Mostovoy managed to escape the abduction.

Grakun acted swiftly, pulling Mostovoy away from the attackers, allowing the footballer to flee into a nearby wooded area before the assailants could regroup. Mostovoy later reported the incident to the police. Grakun’s mother praised her son’s quick thinking and physical prowess, stating that he incapacitated the kidnappers, causing them to retreat in shock.

Mostovoy, speaking out about the terrifying ordeal in a video interview with Fontanka news, expressed his shock and sleepless nights following the incident. Despite the traumatic experience, Mostovoy returned to training and scored a crucial goal for Zenit in a match against Dynamo Moscow, helping his team secure a 2-1 victory.

Following the attempted abduction of Mostovoy, a similar group targeted Sergei Selegen, the son-in-law of State Duma lawmaker Vyacheslav Makarov. Fortunately, police were able to rescue Selegen after tracking down a vehicle linked to the kidnappers and apprehending four suspects.

Reports from the Moscow Times suggest that a fifth individual was detained in connection with the incidents and claimed the abduction attempts were intended as a ‘birthday prank’. It was also alleged that the mastermind behind the kidnappings was not of Russian origin.

The detained suspects are facing serious charges, including kidnapping, robbery, and attempted kidnapping. The St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that the initial four suspects are in custody awaiting pretrial detention, following a joint operation involving the Investigative Committee of Russia, the FSB, and local law enforcement authorities.