Two Teens Disappear in Krasnoyarsk, Ransom Demanded for One
Two 14-year-old teenagers disappeared in Krasnoyarsk on the same day, with one leaving alongside an unknown individual captured on surveillance footage.
Volunteers are currently searching for the minors, identified as 14-year-olds Nikolai Kaplya and Natalia Yelkina.
The boy left home between 4:30 PM and 6:50 PM on January 22. His parents filed a missing person report with the police, stating he might have been abducted. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case.
«According to the preliminary investigation, on the evening of January 22, 2026, the teenager left home in an unknown direction with an unknown person. That same evening, the boy»s father received a message on his phone via a messenger app about the teen«s kidnapping, demanding a ransom for his return, along with a video appeal from the teenager himself urging compliance with the demands,» the Investigative Committee told our colleagues at NGS24.RU.
Additionally, the teenager«s father reported that three million rubles (approximately $40,000 at current rates) were missing from safes. After this, the kidnappers demanded a ransom for the son ten times the stolen amount—30 million rubles (approximately $400,000).
According to the prosecutor«s office, the boy may be under the influence of fraudsters.
«Currently, operational services and the investigative body are checking the version that the teenager is acting under the influence of fraudsters,» the prosecutor«s office press service said.
On social media, Nikolai is referred to as the son of a local businessman. According to the service «Kontur.Fokus», Andrei Kaplya currently owns or manages three firms in Krasnoyarsk. Among them are large ones such as «NBS-Sibir» and «Avtospetsmash». In 2024, the first firm had revenue of 2.9 billion rubles (approximately $39 million at current rates) with a net profit of 35 million rubles (approximately $470,000), the second—4.6 billion rubles (approximately $61 million) with a profit of 73 million rubles (approximately $970,000) (more recent data is not yet available). The third company is smaller—«Sovremennye Tekhnologii Biznesa».
Our colleagues from NGS24.RU contacted Andrei Kaplya. However, he refused to comment on the situation.
Update: According to the Investigative Committee, the kidnapped teenager has been found.
«He is alive, was in a rented apartment with a girl. We are clarifying all circumstances,» the agency said.
That same evening, along with the youth, 14-year-old Natalia Yelkina disappeared in Krasnoyarsk. She left home at 3:00 PM. Since then, no one has seen her. Currently, police are determining if the two cases are connected.
Update: The Investigative Committee reported that the girl has been found and has already returned home. Before disappearing, the schoolgirl had an argument with her mother. She is from a well-off family and is not on any registry.
All details of the incident are being covered by our colleagues in this live broadcast.
