polar giraffe?
Anyways, on-topic: Is this real? I mean, it does sound more than a little suspicious, and the article didn't say a thing about his actually being injured, or needing medical care (which you think he would).
As for moonbiter's questions: No, I have never been to Russia, and I'm quite sure that it became independant well before I was born ; though my mother went there a number of years ago. (Besides, I do have some Russian on my mother's side of the family, as well as some nearby areas, so it's not completely accurate to call me a non-Russian
)