Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case after both hands of 20-year-old Viktoria Budkina, a resident of the Obruchevsky social care home in Moscow, were amputated. According to lawmaker Roman Galenkin, staff members tied her hands with wool tights for “forced restraint,” and the compression caused a loss of blood circulation and gangrene.
“Because there was no proper control or supervision, the tights cut into the skin and blocked blood flow… doctors were able to save her life only by amputating both hands,” Galenkin wrote.
Baza reported that Budkina had epilepsy and self-harming behavior, and that medical restraint methods had been used on her before. Roza Fatykhova, who previously lived on the same floor, told the lawmaker that Viktoria had spent years tied up in a wheelchair and in bed. In a video published by Galenkin, Fatykhova also alleged that Viktoria was beaten and dragged by the hair in a utility room. She said Viktoria did not speak and had never been aggressive.
After media reports, the Moscow Department of Labor and Social Protection launched an internal review. The criminal case was opened under Article 118 of the Russian Criminal Code, which concerns causing grievous bodily harm through negligence. Two orderlies who were on duty at the time were detained for 48 hours and taken for questioning. Department head Yevgeny Struzhak said director Aleksandr Bondar, who had held the post since June 6, 2025, was dismissed. Former director Andrey Besshtanko was summoned to the Investigative Committee, and on November 12 prosecutors also arrived at the facility.
Former employee Anton Cheltsov, who worked at the institution from March 2020 to December 2024, said Budkina’s case was not isolated. He told Vetor that in 2023 another resident had also been tied to a radiator, and that in 2024 media reported on a resident with a displaced sternal fracture who said she had been beaten by a staff member.