A man was arrested Tuesday at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow after violently attacking a two-year-old Afghan boy, an incident captured on surveillance video that has shocked the public and prompted calls for swift justice.

The attack occurred around 1 a.m. in a waiting area of the airport, according to Russian media reports. The child, who had returned to Moscow from Kabul with his family, was playing with a suitcase when a man approached, lifted him into the air, and slammed him headfirst onto the ground. Footage from security cameras reportedly shows the man calmly surveying the area before committing the assault.

Eyewitnesses said the attacker, wearing sunglasses, then stood defiantly in front of the child’s parents in what appeared to be an intimidating posture. He attempted to flee the scene but was quickly apprehended by airport police.

The boy, a Russian citizen, suffered severe cranial injuries and was rushed to a pediatric hospital, where he remains in a medically induced coma and is connected to a ventilator. Doctors reported multiple skull fractures and possible brain trauma. His mother, who is pregnant with her third child, was reportedly present during the attack.

Authorities identified the suspect as a 31-year-old Belarusian national named Vladimir, who was traveling through Moscow on a transit route. Preliminary investigations suggest he was under the influence of drugs; toxicology tests confirmed the presence of narcotics, and additional substances were found in his belongings. Officials said he exhibited erratic behavior during questioning.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against the man on charges of attempted murder of a minor “with malicious intent.” The child’s father has filed a formal complaint, and video evidence from the airport has been secured for prosecution.

Ksenia Mishonova, the children’s rights commissioner for the Moscow region, described the attack as “an unforgivable crime” and demanded the harshest punishment available. Nina Ostanina, head of the State Duma’s Committee on Family and Children, called the suspect “inhuman” and said such individuals “have no place in civilized society.”