Moscow:

A distressing video captures the moment a man violently picks up a young Iranian boy and slams him to the floor in the arrivals hall of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. The boy, just two years old, suffered severe skull fractures and spinal injuries. He is currently in a coma and fighting for his life.

According to reports, the child had recently arrived in Russia with his mother, fleeing bombing in Iran.

The footage shows the toddler quietly holding the handle of his trolley bag. Nearby, a man in a white T-shirt and shorts, with black sunglasses resting on his forehead and his hands in his pockets, appears to be watching him. After glancing around, the man suddenly steps forward, lifts the boy off the ground, and slams him down.

The video, posted on X by the Iranian Embassy in India, prompted widespread outrage.

“A traveller at Moscow Airport confronted an Iranian child, whose family fled due to Israeli aggression, and brutally assaulted him. The child is in a coma and has suffered serious injuries,” said the Iranian Embassy.

The boy’s pregnant mother was retrieving his pushchair at the time of the attack. Moments later, a man rushed over to help the injured child.

The attacker has been identified as Vladimir Vitkov, 31, from Belarus. Security footage shows him watching the boy just before the assault.

Russian authorities are investigating whether the attack was racially motivated or influenced by other factors. The suspect has been taken into custody, with officials suspecting he may have been under the influence of drugs at the time.