UK father offers €100,000 reward to find three-year-old Oliver Pugh, feared abducted by his Russian mother to Thailand after fleeing Spain. Social media posts now suggest the boy may be with his mother in the Kingdom, giving his desperate father fresh hope for a safe return.
A UK father fears his three-year-old son, Oliver Pugh, has been taken to Thailand by his Russian mother. Since the end of July, he has been desperately searching for 32-year-old Anastasiia Chikina, who whisked Oliver away from Marbella, Spain, just after losing custody in a Spanish court. The court had ordered her to stay in the country and hand over Oliver’s passport. Instead, she vanished with her mother, her teenage sister and the boy. Until recently, the father feared all hope was lost, believing she had returned to Russia. But fresh intelligence — including social media posts — now suggests Chikina may be hiding in Thailand.
A distraught UK dad this week offered a €100,000 cash reward or ฿3.75 million for any information leading to the return of his son. The desperate British father previously launched an international search for his missing three-year-old son, Oliver Pugh. The child was allegedly abducted from Marbella by his Russian mother, Anastasiia Chikina, at the end of July. Since then, no direct contact has been made, and police are racing to track the boy down.
At first, detectives believed Anastasiia had fled with Oliver to Russia. Russian state media even supported the move, calling Oliver “Russian” and praising the mother for taking him. However, no hard proof ever surfaced to confirm they had crossed into Russian territory. The Kremlin’s refusal to cooperate with extradition requests had left Oliver’s father terrified of never seeing his son again.
Now, in a shocking twist, investigators believe the pair may actually be in Thailand.
New social media posts provide fresh clues suggesting the missing British boy and mother may be in Thailand
New clues emerged this week after Chikina posted two Instagram stories. One photo from August 31 shows her sitting at a table with the Hula Hula Juice Bar visible behind her. Although the bar isn’t listed online, it clearly matches décor and signage found in Bangkok’s luxurious Iconsiam shopping centre.
A second post, uploaded on September 5, appears even more revealing. It shows Chikina and her 15-year-old sister casually walking past a Cartier store. Investigators quickly analysed the background — ceiling, escalators, benches — and concluded it was almost certainly Iconsiam.
This sprawling, high-end complex is well known for its designer boutiques, gourmet food court and even luxury car showrooms. It’s an unlikely hideout for someone on the run — unless, of course, she believed no one was looking in Southeast Asia.
Now, with Thailand on the radar, hopes are rising. Thai law enforcement is far more likely to cooperate than the Russian state. If the mother and child are still in Bangkok, this could be the breakthrough that finally brings Oliver home.
Father offers a substantial reward and continues the search for his young son, taken unlawfully by his mother
The boy’s father, a 36-year-old British IT professional living in Marbella, is clinging to that hope. He has now offered a £87,000 (€100,000) reward — nearly ฿4 million Thai — for information that leads to his son’s return. He is also funding private investigators and pushing hard through legal channels.
“This is not just a custody dispute,” the father said in a public statement. “This is a serious international abduction. A child has been taken illegally across borders.”
Oliver was born in Marbella and holds a UK passport. Although both parents were caring for him under a shared agreement, the arrangement collapsed earlier this year. According to court documents, a Spanish judge had decided to grant full custody to the father. That ruling was finalised in July, with Anastasiia ordered to surrender Oliver’s passport and remain in Spain until further notice.
However, she told the court the passport had been “lost.” Days later, she vanished with Oliver — and took her teenage sister out of school in the process.
Police launched a missing persons inquiry after family home was abandoned and calls went unanswered
The family home in Marbella was found abandoned. Phone calls went unanswered. Oliver was last seen around July 20. By August 7, with no word from the boy or his mother, the father filed a missing persons report. That triggered a criminal investigation and eventually an Interpol request for assistance.
Since then, the silence has been deafening — until the Instagram posts surfaced. Now the man, who asked not to be named for security reasons, is redirecting his efforts toward Southeast Asia. He believes Anastasiia’s Instagram posts were not mistakes. In his words, “Either she wants to be found, or she thinks no one’s looking anymore. But I’m looking. I’ll never stop.”
Anastasiia Chikina, 32, is a self-described “relationship influencer” with 140,000 followers on social media. She has not publicly denied the abduction but has made cryptic posts suggesting she believes the system is unfair. In one recent message, she wrote: “We have a difficult conversation to have. Talk about how scary it is when the system is against the child… The truth will not be pleasant to everyone… but here it comes out.”
Authorities insist court followed due process while father claims mother fled with children to evade custody ruling
However, Spanish authorities reject this narrative. According to them, the Spanish courts followed due process. They reviewed all evidence and made their decision based on the child’s best interest. The mother was not cut out of Oliver’s life — but was instead offered supervised contact.
“Rather than accept that outcome,” the father explained, “she ran. She knew she would lose custody. She knew she would have limited access. So she fled — and took our son and her sister with her.”
Also missing is Anastasiia’s 58-year-old mother, Angela (or Anzhela) Nikolenko. She was reportedly helping care for the children and may be travelling with them now. That brings the total number of missing people in this case to four.
Meanwhile, Russian state media has stirred controversy by weighing in on the case. One government-aligned pundit, Vladimir Kornilov, argued online that Oliver should be considered Russian. “If London can call him British, why can’t I call him Russian?” he wrote. He went on to suggest that Moscow should protect Chikina’s “rights as a mother.”
Foreign Office confirms support for family amid parental abduction claims from Spanish authorities
The Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting the father and working with Spanish authorities. So far, however, no formal diplomatic action has been taken between the UK and Russia. Spanish police have described the matter as a “parental abduction.” While this term may sound clinical, the father says the reality is anything but.
“My son is gone. His toys are here. His friends are here. I don’t know where he sleeps. I don’t know what language he hears now.”
He described Oliver as a joyful, active child who adores toy cars, aeroplanes and splashing in any water he can find. “He’s just a little boy,” the father said. “Oliver’s not a political football. He’s not a pawn. He just wants to play and be loved.”
Despite the heartache, the father remains focused. He’s appealing directly to Anastasiia, hoping she’ll reconsider. “You love him. I know that,” he said. “But this is hurting him. This is hurting you too. Please, stop this now — before it gets worse.”
Father urges anyone with information to contact police as Thailand leads offer hope for the young boy’s return
The father is urging anyone with information to contact the Spanish National Police or submit tips through a dedicated website. So far, he says, he’s received a handful of messages, but none have led to Oliver.
“I’m not giving up,” he insists. “Every day matters. Every day away is a day of confusion and fear for my son.”
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While the investigation continues, this latest Bangkok lead has brought a flicker of hope. It may yet lead to a reunion — or at least to answers.
As the father put it, “This is the first real clue in weeks. Now we have a direction. And I won’t stop until I find him.”
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Further reading:
Brit jailed for child sex trafficking after 2023 prostitution crackdown on Pattaya’s notorious Soi 6
Big Joke says police and Thailand vindicated after German trip where sex abuser recanted his story
German who skipped bail on sexual assault of a minor charge in Pattaya named by top cop to the press
Big Joke probes Pattaya sex scandal with high stakes not only for ‘Sin City’ but Thailand itself
Fury as police track American and German who bought their way out of child sex abuse in Pattaya
Killer of former bar girl in Pattaya claims he was attacked by the young woman with a glass shard
Calls to legalise prostitution in Thailand after Pattaya sex raid on Walking Street this week
