Man captured, tortured in Russia celebrates birthday with Tampa volunteers who saved him

TAMPA, Fla. - A man who was saved from a Russian captors days before his rescuers say he was set to be executed, celebrated his 29th birthday with a surprise party thrown by those who saved his life.

Bay Area non-profit organization Project Dynamo recently threw a special surprise party for 29-year-old Kirillo Alexandrov at Bahama Breeze.

"It’s surreal. It’s amazing to see people care. It’s humbling to see people care. I don’t know most of these people, but it’s very humbling to see these people care, they came here. Bryan flew my mother out, I had no idea she was here, it’s just really humbling," said Alexandrov.

He wasn’t sure if he was ever going to see his 29th birthday.  He’s originally from Michigan but was living in southern Ukraine with his wife when Russia invaded last year.

On April 1, 2022, Alexandrov was detained by Russian troops, and they accused him of being a spy.

Kirillo Alexandrov was rescued by Project Dynamo.

"He’s the first American victim of war crimes who’s alive since World War II. They tortured him, mock executions, beat him to death, broke his bones, all kinds of terrible things," said Bryan Stern, a co-founder of Project Dynamo.

Then just more than a month later, Project Dynamo went to rescue him from Russian custody. Stern says Alexandrov was days away from being executed.

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"His family was brutalized. We rescued him, his wife, and her mother all under the Russian’s noses. We’re the ones that told them that we got them. They didn’t even know, which is pretty epic," Stern said.

FOX 13 asked Alexandrov what it was like to see Stern’s face when they pulled off the rescue.

Friends and family came together to celebrate Alexandrov.

"I’m still processing it. I think I will always be processing it. Once I was out, it was a major relief, obviously, I got a second chance at life, and now I don’t want to waste any time. I don’t want to take anything for granted," explained Alexandrov.

In terms of this surprise party, Alexandrov said Stern really did surprise him.

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"He got me out of a Russian prison, so he’s always got something to do, and I should’ve figured something, I know him well enough to where it’s shame on me for not realizing," Alexandrov said.

Project Dynamo runs solely on donations. 

Click here to learn more about Project Dynamo.