'I barely slept a wink' - Zenit star kept kidnapping attempt secret from his family and opens up on horrifying ordeal after fighting off three attackers

It was a quiet evening on October 23 when Andrey Mostovoy, fresh off another strong performance for Zenit against Orenburg, became the target of a shocking abduction attempt. As he was getting into his Mercedes G-Wagen after leaving a grocery store on Krestovsky Island, three masked men leapt from a nearby minibus and tried to drag him into the vehicle. The attack unfolded within seconds giving Mostovoy little time to react to the situation.

Luckily, Mostovoy wasn’t alone. His close friend, former hockey player Alexander Grakun, reacted instantly, pulling the footballer free and shoving the attackers back. The pair’s resistance caught the assailants off guard, forcing them to flee. Shaken but unharmed, Mostovoy sprinted into a wooded area nearby and later contacted police to file a complaint. Investigators linked the attack to a wider kidnapping ring, which was later dismantled by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and local authorities.

However, the Zenit player didn't notify his family about the incident and kept it to himself until the morning.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Mostovoy recounted the horrifying ordeal with remarkable composure. 

"Unfortunately, I can't say anything right now because there's an ongoing investigation and I can't reveal everything," the Russia international told Championat. "It was evening, late, everything happened so quickly... I didn't really have time to process what was happening, and only later did I realise it was quite serious. And I seemed to behave normally, in the sense that I didn't panic or call everyone. I waited until the morning, that's all."

The suspects have now been arrested and are in custody. However, Mostovoy's experience shook him as he recounts the initial hours after the failed kidnapping plot.

"Of course, I was so shocked that something like this could still happen in this day and age. After the incident, I was in contact with a friend; it was hard to fall asleep, I didn't really get any sleep. I didn't tell anyone anything, I decided it was best to wait it out. Not my family, no one knew about it. And only the next morning did I contact our security from the club, and then this whole process began," he said.

"No one knew about it at all. It happened yesterday, so it turns out, in the morning. I started getting a lot of calls, text messages, all sorts of TV channels. They called, wanting to know, but I decided, once again, not to contact anyone. I was waiting for the go-ahead, for the club to tell me what to do. Yesterday, it turned out, there was a lot of support from the guys and from outside. Until today, no one knew about it except my friend, who was involved in the incident."

The kidnapping attempt on Mostovoy wasn’t random. Just two days later, the same gang successfully abducted the son-in-law of State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Makarov, demanding 10 million rubles (£95,000) in ransom. Investigators found that the group, aged between 19 and 20, had been hired through Telegram by a mysterious figure using the alias “Satanist.”

The suspects, known for their physical fitness and nationalist tattoos, were tracked down and detained during a ransom exchange operation led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. One of the assailants confessed that their handler was “not from Russia” and communicated solely online.

Authorities are now working to identify and locate this shadowy employer. The case has exposed a chilling trend of organised online criminal recruitment in Russia, where young men are drawn into violent schemes for quick money, who are often unaware of the severe consequences.

Following the incident, Zenit strengthened its security measures, ensuring closer protection for players and their families. The Russian club has been cautious with Mostovoy’s return, allowing him time to recover emotionally. Yet, the winger’s spirit remains unbroken as he resumed light training soon after and even scored his 40th goal for Zenit in a 2-1 victory over Dynamo Moscow in the Russian League.