Missing Russian Veterinarian Resurfaces in Thailand, Claims Theft and Weight Loss

A Russian veterinarian from Primorye who vanished in Thailand has made contact with her family, saying she met a man and has been the victim of theft. Daria, 43, from Artyom, went missing on the resort island of Phuket while on a two-month vacation that began in early April. According to Svetlana Sherstoboeva, a leader of a Russian volunteer group in Thailand, Daria reached out via a borrowed phone with an Arab number, stating that her passport, phone, cash, and jewelry were stolen. She also reported losing 10 kilograms over the past six weeks and seeking medical help multiple times—five visits to police stations and three hospital trips for a jellyfish burn, a monkey bite, and fainting at a station.

Sherstoboeva detailed that Daria last called a friend on May 25, whispering that she couldn't speak loudly due to her boyfriend's security guards and that they were leaving Phuket for the Maldives. Two weeks earlier, Daria had mentioned plans to sell her apartment in Anapa to buy a house in Spain. Now, Daria tells relatives she met a nightclub DJ and that “matchmaking is soon” as they travel to visit his family. Friends, who describe her as extremely responsible, suspect she's in trouble and not telling the whole story. Sherstoboeva says the approximate location is Phuket’s Bangla Road area, and she plans to verify the site.