Smirnova's ex-husband demanded the court leave the children with him.

The court is considering a claim to determine the residence of the Smirnovs' youngest daughter. Her father has filed a motion to have his sons' residences considered in this case, said Anna Smirnova, a resident of the Moscow region. She believes Dmitry Smirnov, who hid the children in Dagestan, Chechnya, and North Ossetia, intends to demand child support.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," in September 2025, it became known that bailiffs in Makhachkala had placed the ex-husband of Moscow region resident Anna Smirnova and her two sons, whom he had taken to Dagestan, on the wanted list. However, according to Smirnova herself, her children have already been taken to Chechnya. In November 2025, she went to Grozny to look for them, but the trip was unsuccessful – on the day of her visit, the children stopped showing up at school, and their whereabouts were unknown. In December, Smirnova found her sons in North Ossetia and managed to retrieve them, but two weeks later, their father took the boys away again to an unknown location. Bailiffs reopened enforcement proceedings.

Anna Smirnova, whose ex-husband took her sons away from her again in January, said that her ex-husband is likely currently in Moscow, attending court hearings to determine the youngest daughter's place of residence. The next court hearing on this case will be held on February 13.

"He demanded that the court add his motion to determine the sons' place of residence to the case. And he offered me to sign a settlement agreement under which the children would remain with him, and I would be able to see them. As for the reason he took the sons,
the only thing he told me was that they would be better off with him. Although when they were with me, the psychologist I consulted noted that during their time with their father, they had developed "Stockholm syndrome," where only they and their father are "friends," and everyone else is an enemy, and he recommended that the children refrain from communicating with their father during the adaptation period," Smirnova told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

19:12 21.01.2026

Courts and Customs: How Mothers Are Separated from Their Children in the Caucasus

In the North Caucasus, mothers are often separated from their children after divorcing their husbands. Even court decisions and bailiff visits do not guarantee that the mother will be able to see her child. "Caucasian Knot" has compiled six such cases reported over the past five years.

According to her, her ex-husband did not pay child support for their daughters and now intends to force her to pay him if the court rules that the children remain with him. "We're talking about a sum equivalent to six living wages," Smirnova emphasized.

She added that previously initiated investigations into her ex-husband under Articles 117 of the Russian Criminal Code (torture), 132 (violent acts), and 135 of the Russian Criminal Code (indecent assault) are not yet complete and are being conducted by the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor's Office.

"Now I'm waiting for the bailiffs to do their job," Smirnova concluded.

As a reminder, Anna Smirnova's ex-husband, Dmitry Smirnov, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in May 2025 that the children were living with him "with their full consent." Smirnov subsequently wrote on WhatsApp* that he had not consented to communication and suggested sending an official request for comment in writing. The Caucasian Knot editorial team sent a request to Smirnov via WhatsApp*, but he did not respond.