A TEENAGER whose mum was abducted by Vladimir Putin’s butchers in Mariupol fears he may never see her again after four years of silence.
Sashko Radchuk, 15, and his family fell into the clutches of Russian troops during the bloody siege of the key Ukrainian city in March 2022.
But while the youngster was rescued by his grandmother, his terrified mum was interrogated by Putin‘s soldiers and has been missing since.
Brave Sashko told The Sun: “The last time I saw her was in a filtration camp. And since then there has been no information about her.”
Just days into Putin’s meatgrinder war, the tyrant’s ruthless soldiers stormed Mariupol and unleashed a hellish campaign of attacks.
Largely reduced to rubble, the city was shattered by relentless bombardments of mortars and missiles – forcing many of its 400,000 population to flee.
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Bombing of a maternity hospital and shelling of a theatre being used as a shelter were among the countless atrocities that emerged.
Brutal fighting left thousands of men, women and children dead – and many missing.
Among those still not accounted for from the city in the Donetskregion is Sashko’s mum, Snizhana.
As shelling relentlessly rained down on the city, Sashko’s eye was wounded – and his desperate family turned to Ukrainian soldiers for help.
The anxious family were taken to the Ilyich factory for shelter and medical assistance – but the plant was quickly encircled by Moscow’s forces.
Unable to escape, dozens were left at the mercy of unforgiving Russian troops as the steelworks became occupied.
It marked the beginning of what would spiral into a four-year nightmare for victims like Sashko – which still has no end in sight.
Sashko said: “We couldn’t leave the factory, they were constantly shelling it.
“And then the factory was surrounded, and my mother and I were taken prisoner.”
They didn’t even let me say goodbye, nothing
Sashko Radchuk
Alarmed Sashko and his mother were taken to the nearby village of Bezimenne, where Snizhana, 35, was aggressively questioned.
The teen added: “They then took my mother somewhere, she was gone for about two hours – and when they brought her back the Novoazovsk Children’s Service arrived.”
Before they could even comprehend what was happening, Sashko was callously snatched from his mum.
“They didn’t even let me say goodbye, nothing,” the devastated youngster recalled.
“And from that moment on, I haven’t seen my mother.”
Sashko prayed their forced separation would be short-lived, but as the months – and then years – went by his hopes faded of a swift reunion.
He added: “It was very difficult for me.
“I didn’t understand why they did it. My mother is a civilian, she wasn’t a soldier.”
Alone and frightened, Sashko lived under Russian control and was at threat of being sent to an orphanage
But after more than two months and the courage of his grandmother Liudmyla, Sashko was able to flee.
Sashko said: “The journey was very difficult because my grandmother and I travelled for four days.
“I was constantly afraid, because we were stopped at checkpoints and our documents were checked.
“I was afraid that my grandmother and I would be left there and not allowed to leave territory controlled by Russia.”
Sashko have lived with his grandmother since as the war has raged on.
As well as continuing his treatment, the teen has tirelessly searched for any shred of information about his mother – who he believes is still being held captive by Russia.
He added: “I haven’t seen my mother since April 2022.
“The last time I saw her was in a filtration camp, and since then there has been no information about her.
“There was information that she was in captivity, but this has not been officially confirmed.
“I just believe that she is alive and well and that she will return soon.”
Russian forces rolled into Mariupol, a bustling Black Sea coast city, in the first months of its assault in 2022.
It imposed a brutal, nearly three-month siege that resulted in thousands of deaths.
In September 2022, Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
These included Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — even though it does not fully control the areas.
Still today, Mariupol remains under Russian command, with peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US repeatedly stalling.
Sashko said: “My fear is that I will be separated from my mother or from someone from my family again – that is my biggest fear.
“And my dreams, I want the war to end soon, for all the soldiers to return to their families and hug all the prisoners of war.”