Man Throws 2-Year-Old Iranian Refugee Kid Headfirst Onto Airport Floor, Leaving Him in Coma

Moscow: A 2-year-old Iranian refugee boy is fighting for his life after being violently thrown headfirst onto the airport floor by a man at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. The toddler, who had fled war-torn Iran with his pregnant mother, suffered severe skull fractures and spinal injuries and remains in a coma.

The attacker has been identified as Vladimir Vitkov, a 31-year-old man from Belarus. According to Russian media, Vitkov had arrived in Moscow the same day, reportedly flying in from either Cyprus or Egypt.

The horrifying assault was captured on CCTV. The footage shows Vitkov scanning the area before picking up the child and slamming him to the floor. The toddler’s mother had momentarily stepped away to retrieve a pushchair when the assault occurred.

Authorities say the boy and his mother had reached Russia through a harrowing journey via Afghanistan, seeking refuge from the ongoing US-Israel bombing campaign in Iran.

The motive behind the attack is still unclear. Investigators are yet to determine whether it was racially motivated or driven by other factors. 

Traces of cannabis were found in the suspect’s bloodstream, and drugs were allegedly discovered on his person at the time of arrest.

Ksenia Mishonova, Children’s Ombudswoman for the Moscow Region, condemned the act, stating, “A drug-addled monster grabbed a toddler in the arrivals hall and threw him on the floor with all his might… All this is incredibly difficult to bear. I hope the detained monster will receive the full severity of the law. May the parents have the strength to survive this.”

The accused has a daughter the same age as the boy thrown to the ground, local media is reporting.

He has been taken into custody, and an investigation is underway.

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