Expensive gear disappeared from a rented Greek apartment used by a Russian YouTube blogger, Alexander Kharchevnikov. He shared the incident on his Telegram channel, detailing how the theft unfolded and what was taken.
According to his account, the doorbell rang in the afternoon. When he approached, only a glimpse remained: a man dressed in black partially descending the stairs. He initially suspected a mistaken delivery person entering through the wrong door. On returning from a cafe, the blogger discovered the door had been left open and realized a burglary had occurred.
“I immediately understood I had been robbed, recalling the doorbell sound as a telltale sign of apartment burglars. They ring to see if anyone is home before moving in. My laptop, tablet, watch, camera, microphone, and other shooting gear plus accessories, all essential for creating content, were taken, with a value surpassing one million rubles,” Kharchevnikov reported, noting the breadth of the loss.
He later remembered placing an Apple Airtag geotag in his bag, a device that allows him to track linked items. The Find My app indicated that the stolen items were located near the crime scene. After notifying the police and describing the situation, he went to the indicated location to investigate further.
“We were in an area where the signal spread across more than 30 parked cars, across three rectangular buildings, and over a hundred apartments. There were roughly five shops, several betting offices, and two to three cafés downstairs. It seems as if the items could be hidden somewhere in this vicinity. It sounds almost unbelievable,” the blogger recounted.
Following a review of security footage and a subsequent police assessment, authorities advised postponing the search and suggested filing a formal report. They explained that checking every apartment and vehicle in the cluster would be impractical. Kharchevnikov was promised contact should his belongings be located, and he expressed hope for compensation from Airbnb, the platform through which the apartment had been rented.
In related news, another Russian blogger, Lebedev, has commented on the misfortunes Russians face when traveling abroad, highlighting broader concerns about safety and security while overseas. (Source: Kharchevnikov’s statements and corroborating discussion from other creators.)