Latest news with #NikolaiPetrov
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Utah teenager located safe and in good health after going missing in April
A 15-year-old Utah girl, who vanished in April, has been located safe and in good health in Colorado Springs, authorities confirmed late Sunday night. According to Sgt Shaun Becker, Alisa Petrov walked into the Colorado Springs police department earlier that evening and identified herself. Officials stated she appeared to be unharmed and physically well. Alisa had last been seen six weeks ago on 21 April, captured on surveillance footage leaving a train platform in Provo. That marked the last known sighting of her until this week's development. Investigators have not yet disclosed how she traveled to Colorado or whether she was coerced or detained during her time away. Detectives are now coordinating efforts to reunite Alisa with her family. Her father, Nikolai Petrov, had previously said that the family's priority was her safe return rather than pursuing arrests or placing blame. 'Obviously, it's best if she just walked in the door and said 'Hey, I'm back,' that would be the best outcome,' he said in an interview with KUTV. The circumstances surrounding Alisa's disappearance remain largely unclear. Officials have not released information about where she stayed over the past six weeks or the specific reasons behind her decision to turn herself in. A more detailed statement is expected, according to Becker, as authorities work on an official news release. In a Facebook post, Nikolai Petrov shared the good news. 'We are all really happy that Alisa is found and looking forward to seeing her!' he wrote on Facebook. 'Special thanks to the South Jordan Police Department who worked on weekends, and to the Salt Lake City FBI who helped them. Thank you to all of our friends for your help and support.' The day she went missing, Alisa was dropped off at Canyon Grove Academy in American Fork, roughly 32 miles south of Salt Lake City. However, she never attended classes. Instead, she purchased supplies at a nearby Speedway gas station and persuaded a man to drive her to a local train station. From there, she traveled to Provo, about 14 miles away, where she reportedly asked multiple individuals for assistance in purchasing a bus ticket to Las Vegas. Her goal was to meet 35-year-old Matthew Nicholas Menard, whom she had been in contact with. The teen's mother Olga had previously told the Daily Mail that Alisa had saved about $1,000 from birthday gifts and allowance money, which she kept after turning 15 on 16 April, just five days before she disappeared.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Missing Utah girl, 15, is found ALIVE six weeks after vanishing into thin air
A teenage girl missing for six weeks after running away from home to meet an alleged pedophile has been found alive. Alisa Petrov, 15, vanished without a trace on April 21 after being dropped off at school in Utah, getting on a train out of town. Hours later, her frantic parents Olga and Nikolai Petrov discovered their daughter had a terrifying double life when her secret iPad was found hidden in her dresser. The teenager dug the long-forgotten device out of a dusty old box and was chatting to three accused pedophiles, all now behind bars. Alisa was last seen at a train station in Provo, Utah, asking for help getting a bus ticket to Las Vegas, where she had arranged to meet Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35. Nothing was heard from her until she walked into a police station in Colorado Springs on Sunday night and identified herself. Police said the teen was 'in good health' but it is still unknown where she was or if she was being held against her will. 'Alisa's parents have been notified of her location and are working with South Jordan Police to bring her home,' police said. Alisa skipped school and got on a train to Provo, Utah, then tried to go to Las Vegas to meet one of the alleged pedophiles. He planned to fly her to his home in Miami via Los Angeles On April 21, Alisa was dropped off at her school, Canyon Grove Academy, in American Fork, about 32 miles south of Salt Lake City. But instead of going to class, she bought supplies at a nearby gas station and convinced a man there to drive her to the local train station. Alisa got off the train in Provo, about 14 miles south of American Fork, and asked multiple people there to help her get a bus ticket to Las Vegas. Olga last week told her daughter had about $1,000 saved from pocket money and birthday gifts that she didn't spend after she turned 15 on April 16, just five days before running away. 'Somebody else is either helping her and we don't know who or where... I'm not suspecting the worst,' she said. 'That means she's with somebody else and we don't know if it's a good person or a bad person.'
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Parents did their best to keep daughter, 15, safe, but 'pedophiles' still found terrifying way to contact her... and now she's vanished
Olga and Nikolai Petrov did all they could to keep their daughter Alisa safe from dangers lurking in the shadows. They monitored her phone, checked all her messages, and taught the inquisitive and social teenager to be careful around strangers. But Alisa, who had never spent a night without her parents, has been missing for a month after suddenly running away from her home in Utah on April 21. What her protective parents didn't know, is the 15-year-old had dug an ancient long-forgotten iPad out of a dusty box and hidden it in her dresser. Under their noses, two men allegedly slid into her Instagram messages and spent months grooming the child, their conversations growing more disturbing by the day. Olga told the iPad was so well hidden that she and her husband missed it when they searched their house for clues after she didn't come home. The secret device was only found when police rummaged through the suburban home in American Fork, about 32 miles south of Salt Lake City. 'We regularly check her phone and there was nothing suspicious. Everything seemed to be normal, just classmates, neighbors,' Olga said. 'We never thought she could be talking to strangers in this way.' Olga said the device was about eight years old, a first-generation iPad Pro they only kept because it had old family photos, and soon forgot they still owned. 'I didn't even know where that would be, probably in some boxes with old stuff... nobody used it for many years now and then for some reason she started to use it,' she said. Sickening police files detailed how the alleged pedophiles slowly gained Alisa's trust and convinced her to send them nude photos and engage in perverted sexual fantasies. Eventually, one of them, identified by police as Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, arranged to meet her in Las Vegas and then fly to his home in Miami, where he allegedly planned to do unspeakable acts. Alisa was dropped off at her school, Canyon Grove Academy, but instead of going to class she bought supplies at a nearby gas station and convinced a man there to drive her to the local train station. She got off the train in Provo, the end of the line about 14 miles south of American Fork, and asked multiple people to help her get to Las Vegas. The teenager hasn't been seen since, and no one knows where she went, who she is with, or how much danger she is in. 'They (police) say they cannot guarantee [that Alisa is still alive] but there was no indication that she's not,' Olga said. 'They say they still have some leads... but we have no idea what kind of leads, they're not saying anything.' The second man Alisa was talking to, identified by police as William Taylor Glines, 37, from Texas City, Texas, was arrested on May 8 and remains in custody. He does not have a lawyer listed. Menard has not been arrested. has attempted to contact him for comment. Olga said police believe she never ended up meeting either of them, which is a great relief considering the 'graphic detail' Menard allegedly shared in chats with Alisa of his 'his intent to sexually abuse the child'. The worried mother hoped Alisa was only staying away because 'I would assume she's really embarrassed', and wasn't being held hostage. She said Alisa didn't have much money for a whole month and it was below 40F some nights since she was gone and she didn't have a coat. 'So somebody else is either helping her and we don't know who or where... I'm not suspecting the worst,' she said. 'That means she's with somebody else and we don't know if it's a good person or a bad person.' Olga hasn't seen a photo of Menard, or, thankfully, read any of the disturbing conversations Alisa had with him, but saw Gliner's mugshot on the news. 'He looks quite bad... he looked like, maybe not criminal, but similar. He didn't look like he's a superstar,' she said. Olga believes the pair likely lied about their age and sent her fake or younger photos of themselves to lure her in. 'I don't believe that was her idea talking to those guys, I think they convinced her to keep talking to them,' she said. 'She told them she is minor and they still proceeded with the nasty stuff, which is really gross.' But Alisa was also very trusting of people and liked to strike up conversations with people in the park, while hiking, or on family holidays. 'She was always trying to meet people to talk to people, like I mean she was just trusting, and we cautioned her about it all the time to at least to be careful,' she said. 'That's just how she is... and they took advantage of her.' Olga said Alisa wanted to study forensics and was already doing some AP classes this semester before she went missing. 'Everything was really good but those guys messed everything up,' she said. Glines was charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. He was also charged by police in Texas with possessing more than 50 child sexual abuse images or videos. Menard was charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. Both have lengthy histories of petty crimes, but no past child sex convictions. Police detailed in affidavits the disturbing messages between Alisa and Menard going back to January 17, most of which were sexual in nature. 'At one point (Menard) asked (the girl), "Are u secretly 15 lol" to which (she) responded... "of course (y)eppers I'm actually in middle school",' police wrote in charging affidavits. Despite knowing how young she was, they continued to talk and 'the conversations are largely sexual in nature'. '[Menard] over the course of several months, corresponded with [the teen] for the purpose of soliciting sex, sodomy, and child sex abuse material from the minor,' it continued. '[He] discussed in graphic detail his intent to sexually abuse the child. [He] encouraged and engaged with [the teen] all from the state of Florida, where all his substantial ties to the community and resources are.' Eventually, the pair made plans to meet in Las Vegas - where Alisa told witnesses she was heading - and then go to his home in Miami. 'Matt tells the victim he will fly to Las Vegas for a business trip later in May, and she can lay low until he gets there,' the warrant alleged. 'They then planned to fly to Los Angeles, CA, together for several days, before ultimately going back to Miami, FL, where Matt lives.' Local police contacted Menard, who they said admitted talking to Alisa on Instagram, and seized his phone. However, he was not arrested. Glines was identified through a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and arrested. He allegedly started talking to Alisa on February 3 and at one point said he was 'double checking' that she was 14 or 15. Many other conversations detailed in charging documents included disturbing explicit sexual language, and allegedly nude photos. Whether Alisa made it to Las Vegas and met either of the men is unclear, as is what happened to her after she was seen in Provo, Utah. Petrov's desperate family are offering a $20,000 reward for anyone with information on her whereabouts. They set up a website where they desperately appealed to the teen. 'Alisa, if you can see this, please know that we love you, we will always love you. We miss you. All of your friends and our friends are very worried too,' her parents Olga and Nikolai said. 'We all want you to return. You will not get in trouble for running away. We are not mad at you. We absolutely love you regardless of what happened. 'We just want you to return back so that we are together as a happy family who care about each other, and we will try our hardest to make you happy. Please come back.' Police said the teen is classed as an endangered runaway. She is described as being about 5ft, 3in tall and weighing about 122lbs. Surveillance footage showed her wearing a white shirt with darker lettering on the front.
Arab News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Russia hosts world leaders for the 80th anniversary of its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II
Russia's President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of China, Brazil and other heads of states for festivities on Friday marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country's most important secular holiday. A massive parade through Red Square and other ceremonies underline Moscow's efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. 'For Putin, this day is important as a demonstration how broad a coalition backing Russia is,' said political analyst Nikolai Petrov. The lineup of leaders coming to Moscow this year contrasts sharply to some past celebrations that drew top Western leaders at a time of friendlier ties between Russia and the West. The festivities have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at all four of the capital's airports, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled, stranding hundreds of passengers. Tightened security around the celebrations also led to restrictions on cellphone Internet service and reports of outages. Banks and taxi firms have preemptively warned customers about disruption to services over the holidays due to unstable Internet access, and some shops and supermarkets have restricted deliveries due to potential network problems. The guest list reflects Moscow's priorities Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as 'our main guest' at the Victory Day festivities when he discussed preparations for his visit with China's foreign minister. The Russian leader noted that he and Xi are to discuss both bilateral and global issues at their summit in Moscow. Xi arrived Wednesday for a four-day visit. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov has said they would discuss trade and Russia's supply of oil and gas to China, as well as cooperation within BRICS — the bloc of developing economies that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but has since expanded to more countries. Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties to bolster their 'strategic partnership' as they both face soaring tensions with the West. China has offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after the 2022 invasion and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping fill the Kremlin's war coffers. Russia also has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military machine running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies. While Beijing hasn't provided weapons to use in Ukraine, it has backed the Kremlin diplomatically, blaming the West for threatening Russia's security. China also condemned Western sanctions against Moscow. Russia, in turn, has consistently voiced support for Beijing on issues related to Taiwan. Last month, Ukraine reported capturing two Chinese soldiers who were fighting for Russia and claimed there were over 150 others deployed alongside Moscow's forces. Beijing disavowed official involvement, saying it told its citizens not to enter foreign conflicts. Reports suggested the men were mercenaries answering advertisements. India's Prime Minister Narendra Mod i, another top ally whom Putin has courted, had been expected in Moscow but he canceled his trip amid tensions with Pakistan after an attack in which gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India, which has had persistent tensions with China, watched the growing Russia-China relationship with unease but sought to maintain close ties with Moscow. Russia is a major defense supplier for India, and New Delhi's importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine. Just like China, India has become a key buyer of Russian oil. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also arrived Wednesday, his first official trip to Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. He twice visited Russia during his previous tenure as president in 2003-10. Other signs of global support for the Kremlin Other guests include Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has openly challenged the European Union's policies over Ukraine. Fico has shrugged off warnings from the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, against visiting Moscow, defiantly saying, 'nobody can order me where to go or not to go.' Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic made his first trip to Russia since the invasion, despite EU pressure that visiting Moscow could derail Serbia's ambitions to join the bloc. He arrived in Moscow on Wednesday after falling ill last week on a trip to the US, which raised questions about his attendance. The Kremlin said Putin will have bilateral meetings with him and Fico on Friday. Petrov said attendance by European countries despite EU pressure demonstrates 'that the Kremlin isn't just in any sort of isolation but has quite powerful support not only in the Global South but also in the West.' Putin met Wednesday with the leaders of Cuba and Venezuela, who also came to Moscow. He and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed an agreement on strategic partnership and cooperation. The leaders of Vietnam and Burkina-Faso, plus presidents of several former Soviet nations, also were expected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the guest list reflects the importance of the holiday and 'shows that Russia not only has allies, but a large number of countries that feel close to the spirit of our ideology and world vision.' Ushakov said Tuesday that leaders of more than two dozen countries are expected, and Putin will hold more than 15 bilateral meetings. The Kremlin also invited US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, although 'whether she will be present at the parade, we will see on May 9,' Ushakov said. The State Department didn't confirm whether any US officials would attend. Ushakov said Wednesday the presidents of Laos and Azerbaijan weren't coming after all. Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith fell ill with COVID-19, Ushakov told Russia's Life news outlet, and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who the Kremlin said in March had accepted an invitation, had to attend events at home. Relations between Moscow and Baku cooled after an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan in December, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Aliyev said it was shot down over Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare. He accused Russia of trying to 'hush up' the incident for several days. Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a 'tragic incident' but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility. Aliyev hasn't attended the Moscow parade since 2015, the Russian daily Vedomosti reported. Past celebrations featured top Western leaders When Russia's ties with the West blossomed after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, many Western leaders attended Victory Day celebrations. In 1995, US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien were among the guests. US President George W. Bush attended the 2005 Victory Day parade along with the leaders of France, Germany and other heads of states, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on Red Square for the 2010 parade. Ties with the West were badly strained after Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow backed a separatist insurgency. Western leaders stopped coming to the event. US President Donald Trump, who this year upended Washington's policy of isolating Russia over the war, hasn't ruled out visiting Moscow someday, but will not be attending on Friday.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Russia to host leaders of China and Brazil for the 80th anniversary of its World War II victory
Russia's President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of China, Brazil and other heads of states for festivities on Friday marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country's most important secular holiday. A massive parade through Red Square and other ceremonies underline Moscow's efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. 'For Putin, this day is important as a demonstration how broad a coalition backing Russia is,' said political analyst Nikolai Petrov. The lineup of leaders coming to Moscow this year contrasts sharply to some past celebrations that drew top Western leaders at a time of friendlier ties between Russia and the West. The festivities have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at all four of the capital's airports, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled, stranding hundreds of passengers. Tightened security around the celebrations also led to restrictions on cellphone internet service and reports of outages. Banks and taxi firms have preemptively warned customers about disruption to services over the holidays due to unstable internet access, and some shops and supermarkets have restricted deliveries due to potential network problems. The guest list reflects Moscow's priorities Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as 'our main guest' at the Victory Day festivities when he discussed preparations for his visit with China's foreign minister. The Russian leader noted that he and Xi are to discuss both bilateral and global issues at their summit in Moscow. Xi is coming for a four-day visit, and Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said they would discuss trade and Russia's supply of oil and gas to China, as well as cooperation within BRICS — the bloc of developing economies that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but has since expanded to more countries. Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties to bolster their 'strategic partnership' as they both face soaring tensions with the West. China has offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after the 2022 invasion and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping fill the Kremlin's war coffers. Russia also has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military machine running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies. While Beijing hasn't provided weapons to use in Ukraine, it has backed the Kremlin diplomatically, blaming the West for threatening Russia's security. China also has strongly condemned Western sanctions against Moscow. Russia, in turn, has consistently voiced support for Beijing on issues related to Taiwan. Last month, Ukraine reported capturing two Chinese soldiers who were fighting for Russia and claimed there were more than 150 others deployed alongside Moscow's forces. Beijing disavowed any official involvement, saying it also told its citizens not to get involved in foreign conflicts. Reports suggested the men were mercenaries who had answered online ads. India's Prime Minister Narendra Mod i, another top ally whom Putin has courted, had been expected in Moscow but he canceled his trip amid tensions with Pakistan after an attack in which gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India, which has had persistent tensions with China, watched the strengthening of Russia-China relations with unease but sought to maintain close ties with Moscow. Russia is a major defense supplier for India since the Cold War, and New Delhi's importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine. Just like China, India has become a key buyer of Russian oil following Western sanctions. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also will be in Moscow for Victory Day, his first official trip to Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. He twice visited Russia during his previous tenure as president in 2003-10. Other signs of global support for the Kremlin Other guests include Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has openly challenged the European Union's policies over Ukraine. Fico has shrugged off warnings from the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, against visiting Moscow, defiantly saying, 'nobody can order me where to go or not to go.' Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic also has accepted an invitation, his first trip to Russia since the invasion. He said he wouldn't cancel the trip despite EU pressure that visiting Moscow could derail Serbia's ambitions to join the bloc. But he fell ill during a trip to the U.S. last week, raising questions about his travel to Russia. The Kremlin on Tuesday announced plans for Putin to have bilateral meetings with him and Fico on Friday. Petrov said attendance by European countries despite EU pressure demonstrates "that the Kremlin isn't just in any sort of isolation but has quite powerful support not only in the Global South but also in the West.' The leaders of Cuba, Vietnam, Venezuela and Burkina-Faso, plus presidents of several former Soviet nations, also are expected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the guest list at the festivities reflects the importance of the holiday. 'It shows that Russia not only has allies, but a large number of countries that feel close to the spirit of our ideology and world vision,' he said. Ushakov said Tuesday that leaders of more than two dozen countries are expected to attend the parade, and Putin will hold more than 15 bilateral meetings. The Kremlin also invited U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy, although 'whether she will be present at the parade, we will see on May 9,' Ushakov said. The State Department didn't confirm whether any U.S. officials would attend. Past celebrations featured top Western leaders When Russia's ties with the West blossomed after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, many Western leaders attended Victory Day celebrations. In 1995, U.S. President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien were among the guests. U.S. President George W. Bush attended the 2005 Victory Day parade along with the leaders of France, Germany and other heads of states, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on Red Square for the 2010 parade. Ties with the West were badly strained after Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow backed a separatist insurgency. Western leaders stopped coming to the event. U.S. President Donald Trump, who this year upended Washington's policy of isolating Russia over the war, hasn't ruled out visiting Moscow someday, but will not be attending on Friday.
