A teacher from Kharkiv who had been detained by Russian security forces has died in Crimea

Oleksandra Kazarovitska, a teacher from Kharkiv who was detained by Russian security forces in July 2026, has died in occupied Crimea. The occupiers cite “suicide” as the cause of death.

This was reported by the “Professional” language school, of which Kazarovitskaya was a co-founder.

The school noted that she served as the director of academic affairs, taught classes, and mentored students. Her colleagues remember her as a talented and open-minded person who was constantly striving to improve and supported her students’ success. The school stated that Russia bears responsibility for her death.

As explained by the language school, Oleksandra’s father was a former military officer. After retiring, he chose to live in an apartment in Sevastopol. Kazarovitska herself spent almost her entire adult life in Kharkiv, where her grandmother lived.

After the full-scale war began, she visited her parents abroad—in Turkey and Georgia. Later, the family decided to move them to Turkey permanently.

To this end, Oleksandra traveled to Sevastopol to help her parents sell their apartment and organize the move. According to the school, she planned to stay on the peninsula for no more than a month and return home in September. However, she was detained there by Russian security forces.

The school reported that the reason for her detention may have been her correspondence with a volunteer, which dated back to the start of the full-scale invasion. After that, according to her colleagues, Kazarovitskaya was held in solitary confinement for about three months. She was awaiting trial but never returned home.

The Russian side has not disclosed the specific charges against Kazarovitskaya. Her death is being attributed to an alleged suicide. According to the information provided, she died on October 25 and was buried in Sevastopol on November 4.

Oleksandra Kazarovitska is survived by her husband and daughter.

Ірина Глухова