A Ukrainian student who was doing an internship at a resort in Italy has gone missing
Maria Bugayova (Photo: Brindisi Police)

18-year-old Ukrainian Maria Bugayova has gone missing in Italy. She was doing an internship at a tourist facility in the Brindisi province with fellow students from the University of Bratislava. This was reported by Ansa.

The owners of the establishment in the village of Meditura, where she worked as part of a European project with the University of Bratislava, reported the girl's disappearance on Saturday, July 5.

The girl was last seen the day before, on Friday. Surveillance cameras captured Maria walking along a path towards the Torre Guacacheto nature reserve. She did not return for the night.

Her mobile phone and passport were found in the student's room. According to Maria's employers and friends, she speaks Italian poorly and did not announce any plans to leave.

Rescue services, law enforcement, and civil defense volunteers are involved in the search. Rescuers are using drones and service dogs.

The girl's parents, who live in Ukraine, have been informed of her disappearance and are constantly updated through diplomatic channels about the search efforts.

  • Since the beginning of the war, more than 4.3 million displaced Ukrainians have found refuge in the EU.
  • On June 4, the European Commission proposed to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians who left the country due to the full-scale Russian aggression for another year – until March 4, 2027.