Ukrainian community in Winnipeg organizes community field search for missing man

Winnipeg’s Ukrainian community organized a field search to search for a missing 30-year-old man.

The Ukrainian community is continuing their effort to find the missing 30-year-old man.

Anatolii Ishchenko came to Winnipeg through the federal government’s Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program – fleeing the war in his home.

On March 16, Winnipeg police requested the public’s help to find Ishchenko, saying he was last seen in the 2300 block of Pembina Highway.

• Winnipeg police searching for man last seen in January

The community organized a field search at St. Vital Park on Friday, forming groups of seven to 10 people. Before the search, a Dakota drum song was played and a prayer was led by a priest.

Oksana Burchak recalled her memories with Ishchenko about a year ago.

“He was very nice and polite … he was telling (me) how he was learning English – it was a very good impression,” she said on Friday.

Burchak said right before Ishchenko went missing, he visited Victoria Hospital seeking medical treatments for panic attacks; however, Ishchenko voluntarily signed a discharge paper and left the hospital around 12 p.m. without seeing a doctor.

“It was -30 C, feels like -48 C and that’s why we have concerns because his phone was not responding.”

With all his family located outside of Canada, his aunt in California made the report, Burchak said.

“Mother, father and brother in Ukraine – they are extremely concerned because it’s not like him not to contact and he was planning to go to his aunt … she was basically in contact with him.”

Burchak said Ishchenko could not have left the country, as all of his belongings and documents were found in his apartment and vehicle.

“I’m not optimistic, I’m realistic. With all the information we currently have – I really hope that we will find him and a miracle will happen – that we will find him alive somewhere.”

Yevgeniya Tatarenko, one of the co-organizers, expressed her gratitude not only to the Ukrainian community but also to other communities that attended.

“We were just blown away by the response of so many … just leaving everything behind on Good Friday and trying to help us,” Tatarenko said on Friday.

“To be alone in a new country without anyone – friends, family and going through so many struggles that a lot of Ukrainians going through right now … everyone who arrived on the CUAET program, they are facing the same reality.”

Ishchenko is six-foot-one, with a thin build, brown hair and eyes. Anyone with information about his location is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service’s missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.