Sergejs Muļivanovs, an activist of the Latvian Russian Union who emigrated to Russia, was placed in pre-trial detention on fraud charges and subsequently sent to fight against Ukraine, the online news outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti reports, citing his lawyer and relatives.
The 59-year-old Muļivanovs left Latvia for Russia in 2024 and began working as a courier. One of his assignments turned out to involve transporting money stolen by fraudsters, leading to criminal proceedings against him for fraud. In April 2026, he was placed in pre-trial detention.
While in custody, he was allegedly tricked into signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence and an accompanying application.
“Neither document contains a date. The dates were only added now, in October 2026. A signature made six months ago was presented as though it had been made just a few days earlier,” Muļivanovs’ lawyer explained.
In late October, the self-described supporter of the so-called “Russian world” announced that he refused to go to war. However, he was reportedly taken to Rostov against his will.
According to his relatives, they have had no contact with Muļivanovs for approximately a week.