An American missionary has been kidnapped by Russian forces in Ukraine, according to his family.
Dmitry Bodyu, 50, was snatched by a group of around eight to 10 soldiers from his home in Melitopol on Saturday morning, 19 March, as his loved ones looked on in horror, his wife Helen Bodyu told NBC News.
Ms Bodyu recounted the ordeal to NBC from Melitopol on Thursday, saying the family haven’t heard anything from Mr Bodyu since he was taken and had struggled to spread the news of his kidnapping because the Russian soldiers took all of their phones and other devices.
“They just came in in the morning,” Ms Bodyu said. "They took our phones, gadgets, computers, documents – and took him somewhere. I don’t know where."
She said she couldn’t hear much of what the soldiers said to her husband, but that they appeared to know he was a pastor and took his US passport.
The State Department is aware of reports of Mr Bodyu’s alleged kidnapping but has not commented on it publicly due to privacy concerns, NBC News reported.
Mr Bodyu was born in the Soviet Union and had moved to the US with his parents at 17 years old before going back to Crimea in Ukraine years later.
After the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, Mr Bodyu moved to Melitopol, where he served as pastor of the Word of Life Church.
Mr Bodyu’s daughter, Ester Bodyu-Ogawa, told NBC News one of the first questions the soldiers asked as they entered the home was whether they were American citizens.
She said the soldiers also looked through her father’s social media posts before they escorted him out.
Ms Bodyu-Ogawa expressed shock at her father’s kidnapping, describing how he had been working to keep members of his congregation safe after the Russian invasion began last month.
"All he’s doing is just helping such a huge amount of people that were hiding in the church, which was, like, over 50 people," she said. "And he was feeding all of them, too, throughout this whole situation."
She said she has many theories – but no answers – for why her father was targeted.
"It could be because we’re American citizens. It could be because he’s, you know, a big influencer,” she speculated.
“A lot of people follow him and really want to know what he’s preaching about and what he’s telling people, making sure he’s not, like, talking about Russia and trying to tell people, ‘Yes, this is a bad thing.’”
Ms Bodyu-Ogawa said the soldiers returned on Monday, two days after the alleged kidnapping, to return the seized devices and pick up a Bible and sleeping bag. However, they didn’t give any word about Mr Bodyu’s whereabouts.
"We’re just hoping for the best, and we’re praying for him, and we’re praying that he’s strong," she said.
