This is the distressing moment a mother hands over her newborn baby to a middle-aged woman teacher for just £34, police say.

A CCTV video, released by police, shows the distraught mum named as Inna Petrova clutching her nine-day-old daughter at Omsk airport in Russia.

She walks around seemingly counting every last second she has with her tiny girl.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

At one point, the poverty-stricken 25-year-old turns her back on Natalia Zhdanova, 43, who reportedly flew 1,970 miles from St Petersburg to collect the baby.


But footage shows Inna kissing her for the last time and handing her over wrapped up in a bright pink blanket.



Natalia then allegedly uses a faked birth certificate to show airport security before flying back to her home city with the child.

Inna, who later said she was ‘hysterical’ at giving away her child, is seen wiping tears from her eyes in the video.

She now admits she was wrong and says she wishes she could take everything back.

Ahead of the child’s birth, Natalia allegedly sent Inna a payment of 3,000 roubles – just £34.

Inna Petrova kisses her baby for the last time before giving her away away (Picture: east2west news)

Now both women have been formally detained as a criminal probe is launched under Russia’s child trafficking laws.

They could each face up to ten years in jail.

Investigators say Natalia was ‘desperate’ to raise another child after her adult son left home.

She is already bringing up another adopted daughter but reportedly feared an ‘empty nest’.

She reportedly posted an online advertisement, saying: ‘Hi everyone! My husband and I would very much like to get a baby aged 0 to 3 months.

‘All the documents for adoption are ready. Please send a private message for details. Girls, darlings, please help.’

Inna appears to be distraught as she gives her baby away in Omsk airport (Picture: east2west news)

Inna, who became pregnant after a short relationship with a man she met at a local cafe, reportedly replied: ‘Hello, I would like my daughter to be adopted. Please do so, I am not able to raise her, no chance.’

She told police she lived with her mother and sister in a cramped flat and the other two women were furious when she became pregnant.

They were reportedly adamant she should not keep the baby.

Omsk prosecutor Vasily Gumenyuk said: ‘During our interrogation, the biological mother of the baby explained that she lived in a rented apartment with her mother and sister.

‘Both were strongly against the baby and put strong psychological pressure on the future mother.

‘The young woman failed to get a job, and she was not married to the father of her baby.

Natalia Zhdanova carries the baby away after allegedly faking her birth certificate (Picture: east2west news)

‘He knew about her pregnancy but did not plan to support her.

‘She decided to give away the baby to the teacher from St Petersburg.’

The baby exchange would have remained secret but for Inna and her mother telling their landlady, who immediately informed police.



Officers knocked on Natalia’s door in St Petersburg one week after the airport incident.

Inna said: ‘All the way through my pregnancy, my mother and sister were attacking me. They wanted me to have an abortion.’

Asked about the moment she handed over the child, she said: ‘Of course it was hard. I was in hysterics in the airport when it happened.’

She said she was sent 3,000 roubles in advance to cover the cost of nappies, but claimed Natalia also promised to help her and her family find jobs in St Petersburg.

The women were both detained as suspects under Russia’s child trafficking laws.

They are held under house arrest pending completion of the criminal investigation.

Got a story for Metro.co.uk? If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.