A young woman who vanished nine years ago in St. Petersburg has been located, having lived in hiding and giving birth to two unregistered children. Victoria, who was 16 when she disappeared in 2016, was found living in Sestroretsk.

The search for Victoria captured public attention after she left a hospital in the Kalininsky district and disappeared. Police and volunteers conducted extensive searches, but no trace of her was found. Media speculation ranged from accidental drowning to abduction.

Instead, Victoria had been concealing her whereabouts, initially staying with a friend in Vsevolozhsk before moving to Sestroretsk. There, she met a man and began living with him, eventually giving birth to two children without any medical intervention or official registration.

During questioning, Victoria reportedly stated that she ran away due to anger towards her parents, who she claimed had forgotten her birthday. She admitted to following news reports about her disappearance but made no attempt to return home. Her family resides in the Tikhvin district.

The “PARSIV” system, a facial recognition program that uses street cameras to identify wanted individuals, led to Victoria’s discovery. The St. Petersburg Criminal Investigation Department identified her through the system and subsequently raided her home in Sestroretsk.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances and assessing the living conditions of the children. The Investigative Committee has yet to release an official statement on the case.