Russian media have reported that Anton Milayev, described as a great-grandson of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, has been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The claim was first circulated by the Russian Telegram channel Baza, which cited Milayev’s mother, Irina Kuznetsova. According to her account, Milayev joined Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in late 2025 and was deployed to the front as a sapper. Since November, his family has reportedly had no direct contact with him.

Several months later, the family allegedly received information that Milayev had been captured and was being held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The report has not been independently confirmed by Ukrainian authorities.

The case has attracted attention not only because of Milayev’s family name, but also because of the historical irony surrounding it. Leonid Brezhnev, who led the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982, was born in what is now Ukraine and built an important part of his early political career there. His rule is still associated with the late Soviet era, imperial stability, stagnation, and the tightening of Moscow’s control over the Soviet republics.

Milayev’s connection to the Brezhnev family is complex. He is described in Russian and Polish media as an adopted or “named” descendant of Galina Brezhneva, Leonid Brezhnev’s daughter. Galina, who died in 1998, was one of the most colourful and controversial figures among the Soviet elite. She was known for her turbulent private life, eccentric behaviour, and lifestyle that often caused embarrassment to the Kremlin, although Soviet media were forbidden from writing openly about such matters.

Galina’s first husband was Yevgeny Milayev, a well-known Soviet circus performer. Through that marriage, the Milayev family became connected to the Brezhnev clan. Anton Milayev was later publicly associated with this family line, which is why Russian media have referred to him as Brezhnev’s great-grandson.

If confirmed, the report would add a striking symbolic episode to the war: a descendant of one of the most powerful Soviet leaders, whose own biography was deeply tied to Ukraine, allegedly ending up in Ukrainian captivity while serving in the Russian army.

For now, however, the story remains based on media reports and family testimony. Neither the Ukrainian military nor Russian official institutions have publicly confirmed the details of Milayev’s reported captivity.