Football star fought off masked kidnappers in terrifying grocery store ordeal
A Russian footballer faced an ordeal as he had to escape kidnappers when leaving a grocery store but, remarkably, Andrei Mostovoy was back in action for Zenit St. Petersburg by the weekend
Zenit St. Petersburg star Andrei Mostovoy fought off kidnappers who tried to drag him into a van as he left a grocery store. The Russian international footballer was targeted but escaped with help from his friend, and former youth hockey player, Alexander Grakun.
A group attempted to abduct the 27-year-old on Krestovsky Island, St Petersburg on October 24 as they pulled up a minibus metres away from Mostovoy’s Mercedes G-Wagon. Three masked figures attempted to grab the footballer to drag him into their vehicle, but were not prepared for an intervention.
Grakun pulled his friend back as the attackers were shoved away, and Mostovoy sprinted into a nearby wooded area before his would-be captors could regroup. Mostovoy contacted the police to file a formal complaint in the aftermath.
“The thing that saved him was that Sasha managed to assess the situation in a split second,” said Grakun’s mother, Natalya, in an interview with KP-Petersburg. “He physically and mentally overpowered the kidnappers, knocking them unconscious.
READ MORE: Russia make major claim about hosting Euro 2032 despite being banned by UEFAREAD MORE: Ex-Man Utd star Dimitar Berbatov details kidnapping by gangsters – ‘I thought that was it’
“So they fled in shock. Andrey, of course, has golden legs; he was able to escape deftly.”
Mostovoy broke his silence on Tuesday in a video interview released to the Fontanka news outlet. “I was shocked that something like this can still happen nowadays… I barely slept,” the footballer said.
The attacker quickly returned to training and scored a crucial goal for Zenit at the weekend. Mostovoy scored an equaliser against Dynamo Moscow as his side went on to win 2-1.
Two days after the incident, the same group is said to have abducted Sergei Selegen, son-in-law of State Duma lawmaker Vyacheslav Makarov. Selegen was freed after police tracked down a Toyota Land Cruiser and they were able to detain four people.
Moscow Times report a fifth person was detained on Monday. They claimed they believed the operation was a ‘birthday prank’, while it is also reported one suspect said the mastermind behind the kidnap attempts was ‘not from Russia’.
Those detained face criminal charges, including kidnapping, robbery and attempted kidnapping. The St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed the initial four suspects are in custody and awaiting pretrial detention following the operation that saw a coordinated effort between the Investigative Committee of Russia, the FSB, and local police.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
