Anton Milayev, the adopted great-grandson of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, has reportedly been captured by Ukrainian forces while serving in the Russian army, according to media reports.The claim was first reported by Baza, a Russian Telegram channel known for its ties to the country’s security services, and later cited by several Ukrainian outlets.According to reports, the 45-year-old man joined the Russian army as a sapper or combat engineer in the autumn of 2025.Baja quoted Milaev’s mother Irina Kuznetsova as saying that the family had lost contact with him in November last year. Months later, he was informed that he had been captured by Ukrainian forces and was being held in the Kherson region.
The capture has reportedly been confirmed by Ukrainian sources.
The report has not been independently confirmed and there has been no official comment from Kyiv.However, a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has reportedly confirmed to BBC News Ukraine that Milaev is in Ukrainian custody.According to TVP World, sources at Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war also confirmed the capture to investigative outlet Babel.Milaev is the adopted grandson of Galina Brezhneva, daughter of Leonid Brezhnev.According to RBC Ukraine, Galina raised him as her own son.His name has also appeared on Myrotvorets, a controversial Ukrainian online database which lists individuals considered “enemies of Ukraine”.According to The Telegraph, the database describes him as “the great-grandson of General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev” and states that he voluntarily joined Russia’s war effort in 2025.
Who was Leonid Brezhnev?
Leonid Brezhnev served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982.His 18-year rule was one of the longest in Soviet history and was associated with a period of political and economic stagnation known as “Zastoi”.Brezhnev was born in what is now the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine and was officially listed as ethnically Ukrainian in many legal documents, including his passport.Brezhnev’s tenure also included the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, which crushed the Prague Spring reform movement and created the so-called Brezhnev Doctrine, under which Moscow justified intervention in Eastern Bloc countries to maintain Soviet influence.
Prisoner exchange remains uncertain
The circumstances surrounding Milaev’s capture remain unclear, and there is no information as to whether he might be included in a future prisoner exchange.Kiev and Moscow have recently made several prisoner swaps, including an exchange under the “1,000 for 1,000” framework. Earlier this month, Ukraine and Russia completed another round of large-scale exchanges that saw the return of 185 Ukrainian soldiers and one civilian.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that more than 4,000 Russian POWs were being held in Ukraine, while about 7,000 Ukrainians were in Russian captivity.He reiterated on Friday that Kiev is ready for a prisoner swap “for all”, an offer Russia has so far rejected.
The war continues despite diplomatic efforts
The alleged capture comes as fighting continues on multiple fronts between Russia and Ukraine.Civilians were killed and injured in several Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhia, in Russian attacks on Saturday.Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil facilities in Crimea and southern Russia.As diplomatic efforts stall and attacks continue to be exchanged by both sides, the war has entered its fifth year with no immediate end in sight.