The Foreign Ministry asks Kazakhstan not to extradite the detained Ukrainian woman to Russia
The Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan is asking the Kazakhstani authorities not to grant Russia’s request for the extradition of Ukrainian citizen Lyubov Rozhanska. The woman was detained on October 1 at the Astana airport, where she had arrived to pick up her grandson, who was to be handed over to his Ukrainian father. Rozhanska is currently being held in a pretrial detention center, and Ukrainian diplomats are in contact with her lawyers.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that immediately after receiving information about Lyubov Rozhanska’s detention, the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan contacted the Kazakhstani authorities. Ukrainian diplomats requested that Russia’s request for her extradition not be granted. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of this situation. Immediately after receiving information about the citizen’s detention upon her arrival in Astana, the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan promptly contacted the Kazakhstani authorities with a request not to grant Russia’s extradition request,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian consular officials have also requested permission to visit Rozhanska. She is currently being held in a pretrial detention center in Astana. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, preliminary approval for a consular visit has already been granted. Ukrainian diplomats are also in contact with the detainee’s lawyers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is providing them with the necessary assistance and monitoring the situation.
“We are counting on the Kazakhstani side to fairly consider the circumstances of the situation and are working to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the detained Ukrainian citizen,” the Foreign Ministry stated. The Ministry added that the Department of Consular Service and the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan are keeping a close eye on the case.
Why Was the Ukrainian Woman Detained?
Lyubov Rozhanska was detained on October 1 at the Astana airport. According to Ukrinform, she had flown in from Istanbul. She had traveled to Kazakhstan to pick up her grandson, who was to be brought there from Russia and then handed over to his Ukrainian father in Odesa.
The situation involving the child has been ongoing for several years. In 2021, Rozhanska’s daughter, Alla Andreeva, traveled with her son to the Kaliningrad region of Russia. There, she was living with her second husband, a Russian citizen. In March 2022, Andreyeva filed an application to renounce Ukrainian citizenship for herself and her child. They subsequently received Russian citizenship.
At the same time, a court case regarding the boy’s place of residence was ongoing in Ukraine. It was initiated by his father, who lives in Odesa. In March 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the child’s place of residence should be his father’s place of residence.
What Happened This Year
In the summer of 2026, the family of the boy’s mother’s new husband contacted Lyubov Rozhanska. According to information cited by Ukrinform with reference to DW, they offered to hand the boy over to his Ukrainian father and grandmother. However, around the same time, a decision had already been made in Russia to take Rozhanska into custody in connection with the child abduction case. The Russian authorities also began preparing documents for her extradition.
Rozhanska’s attorneys stated that she was unaware of the criminal proceedings against her. According to them, the request for her arrest was issued through the mechanisms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. These statements by the lawyers are cited in the detention records. When Rozhanska arrived in Astana, she was detained while passing through border control. She is currently being held in a pretrial detention center in the capital of Kazakhstan.
A court hearing is scheduled to take place in the coming days to decide on her continued detention. The issue of her possible extradition to Russia also remains open. The Ukrainian side has already stated its position on the extradition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asking Kazakhstan not to grant Russia’s request and to ensure the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of the Ukrainian citizen. So far, no final decision has been made regarding her transfer to Russia.
This case is also linked to the broader issue of the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. Ukraine has previously reported thousands of cases of illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian side. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
On September 30, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan agreed to promptly exchange information on “terrorist and extremist organizations, groups, and individuals” who, according to the document, pose “a threat to state security.” The corresponding cooperation agreement was signed by the attorneys general of the six countries in Kazan.
