Russian Sailors Attacked and Robbed in St. John’s; One Left Seriously Injured

Two Russian nationals were reportedly attacked, beaten and robbed by a group of men in the early hours of Thursday morning in St. John’s, leaving one of the victims hospitalized with serious injuries.

Police investigations indicate that the incident occurred around 1:20 a.m. on June 4 along Popeshead Street.

Authorities were initially alerted after a report was made to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) that a group of assailants had injured two Caucasian men.

A subsequent report led officers to Heritage Quay, where they discovered a 21-year-old Russian national named Aleksandr Liashev suffering from a facial injury and a wound above his left eyebrow.

He told police that he and fellow crew member Vladislav Andronov had been attacked by several men while making their way back to their vessel.

Emergency Medical Services responded and treated Liashev at the scene. He was issued a medical form but declined further treatment.
Police later received information about the second victim’s whereabouts and located Andronov in the Yorks area. Officers observed multiple bleeding wounds to his head and left arm.

According to Andronov, he and Liashev were ambushed by a group of men who beat them with bottles and a piece of wood approximately two centimetres thick. During the assault, the attackers allegedly stole his black Calvin Klein backpack containing photocopies of identification documents and US$20 in cash.

EMS personnel provided emergency treatment before transporting Andronov to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre for further care.
A doctor at the hospital reportedly informed police that Andronov’s condition was serious but stable.

Investigators later contacted the master of the vessel, identified as Russian national Nikolai Turkin, and informed him of the attack and the condition of his crew members.

Police conducted searches for the alleged attackers but no arrests have been made. Investigations into the violent assault and robbery are ongoing.

The Police Administration condemns this senseless act of violence and remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of both residents and visitors to the country.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 462-3913/14 or Crimestoppers at 800-TIPS (8477).