Young Russian Woman Disappears During Night Walk in Vietnam

More than six weeks after a 25-year-old Russian tourist disappeared during a nighttime walk on a beach in Vietnam, her family says they have received little information from local authorities and continue searching for answers.

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Da Nang

The woman, named as Regina, traveled to Da Nang with her family in mid-June for a holiday. They were staying at the Grandvrio Ocean Resort Da Nang and planned to celebrate both her birthday and her mother's during the trip.

According to Regina's mother, Inna, the family spent June 14 sightseeing before returning to the hotel. Later that evening, Regina decided to take a walk along the beach. Her 62-year-old stepfather, Boris, accompanied her.

As they walked through a palm-lined section of the beach, Regina moved ahead and disappeared from his sight. Boris later told the family he heard Regina shout, "Uncle Boris!" before she vanished.

Search Began Immediately but Produced No Trace

Believing she might have been swept into the sea during stormy conditions, Boris entered the water in an attempt to find her. He later said powerful waves nearly dragged him offshore before he managed to return to the beach.

Hotel staff joined the family in searching the shoreline throughout the night using flashlights. The following morning, police and rescue teams launched a search operation.

According to Inna, rescuers initially said they expected to recover a body if Regina had drowned. Investigators also considered the possibility that she had been abducted. However, no trace of the young woman has been found.

The family says Vietnamese authorities ended the official search after seven days, citing local regulations. Regina's parents returned to Russia on June 20 and reported her disappearance to Russian police, but they say officers declined to open a criminal case because she went missing outside the country.

Family Continues Independent Search

Inna said communication with Vietnamese police has been limited and has largely taken place through hotel staff. She says authorities have repeatedly told the family that there is no new information and have not confirmed whether a criminal investigation is underway.

After returning home, the family also received a bill of approximately $800 for the search operation.

Five days before speaking publicly, Inna contacted the Russian Consulate General in Da Nang. According to her, consular officials explained that Vietnamese law does not allow Regina to be formally listed as a missing person because those procedures reportedly apply only to children and elderly people. The consulate said it would request additional information from local police and look into the search-related charges.

Meanwhile, Regina's friends have organized their own search efforts. Some have suggested that she may have been abducted, although authorities have not presented evidence supporting that theory. A Russian resident of Da Nang visited a state hospital and the local morgue but found no information about Regina's whereabouts.

Inna also reviewed her daughter's social media accounts after the disappearance. Although she briefly considered whether Regina might have become involved with a religious group or cult, she said she found nothing suspicious in her messages.

Following widespread coverage of the case, some social media users speculated that Regina's stepfather might have been involved in her disappearance. Inna strongly rejected those claims, saying Boris had raised Regina since she was 10 years old and had always maintained a close and supportive relationship with her.

She also dismissed suggestions that Regina had entered the sea voluntarily as she was not a fan of swimming.

Before leaving her job, Regina worked as a flight attendant for Aeroflot for approximately three years. She later began traveling across Asia with her boyfriend, visiting Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Goa before returning to Vietnam with her family.