Ukrainian Model Found Critically Injured in Dubai After Disappearing for 8 Days

A real-life thriller unfolds with Ukrainian model Maria Kovaltchouk as the protagonist. The 20-year-old model from Ukraine, who had been missing for eight days, was found severely injured on the side of a road in Dubai and is now being treated in critical condition at a hospital. According to the Daily Mail, her whereabouts were unknown since March 9. That evening, she told her mother and friends she would attend a party at a Dubai hotel, invited by two men claiming to represent a fashion house. Maria intended to stay overnight at the hotel but vanished afterward. Her mother’s concern grew when Maria failed to appear at the airport to board a scheduled flight to Thailand on March 11. Her family and friends alerted local authorities, initiating a search. On March 19, Maria was discovered severely beaten, with injuries to her spine and extremities, according to Russian media. She was left on the side of a road without personal belongings, documents, or a mobile phone. The model was admitted to the hospital, where she underwent three surgeries to save her life, followed by a fourth procedure. Her condition remains critical. Maria Kovaltchouk hails from Lviv in Western Ukraine and is known for her activism against war, having participated in solidarity events for a Russian sociologist currently in prison.