Latvian activist Sergey Muļivanov sent to fight in Ukraine after fraud arrest

Sergeis Muļivanovs, a 59-year-old pro-Kremlin activist who fled Latvia for Russia in 2024, was placed in pre-trial detention on fraud charges in April 2026 and subsequently sent to fight against Ukraine, Inbox.eu reported, citing the Russian online publication Ostorozhno, Novosti.

Muļivanovs had relocated to Russia after voicing vocal opposition to Latvia’s state policies and supporting the ideology of the “Russian World” alongside the Latvian Russian Union. Upon arrival, he secured employment as a courier in Moscow. One of his delivery assignments involved transporting funds that had been stolen by scammers, leading investigators to detain him on fraud charges in April 2026, while his relatives maintain he was himself a victim of the scheme.

Lawyer Reveals Activist Signed Backdated Military Contract in Detention

While held inside a Moscow detention facility during the criminal investigation, Muļivanovs was allegedly tricked into signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense alongside an accompanying application. According to statements provided by Muļivanov’s lawyer, the paperwork sat blank for six months before dates were filled in during October 2026, making a signature from the spring appear as though it had just been executed days prior.

By late October, the activist explicitly stated that he refused to participate in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Despite his refusal, relatives stated he was taken to Rostov-on-Don against his will.

Relatives Lose Contact with Diabetic Activist Whose Whereabouts Remain Unknown

Family members reported losing all contact with Muļivanovs. According to UA.NEWS, relatives noted that the 59-year-old man suffers from diabetes and polyneuropathy, conditions that would ordinarily render him unfit for military service. His current whereabouts remain unknown, and it has not been independently confirmed whether he has already been deployed directly to the front lines.