Ivan Zabavskyi went missing in 2022 when he travelled to the occupied village of Tavolzhanka to find his mother. Marina Zabavskaya learned from conversations with relatives that her son left to search for her on September 30, when she had already departed in the other direction. In May 2023, Ivan's mother received a response from the Russian Ministry of Defense stating that Ivan had been detained 'for opposing the special military operation' and was on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Ivan Zabavskyi spoke of constant beatings and starvation – according to him, prisoners were given portions no more than 100-150 grams. In a letter, he mentioned a "long and terrible ten months in captivity, when a day felt like a year, when he was beaten two or even three times a day." Ivan Zabavskyi's lawyer Andrey Chertkov said that his client "spent time in detention without any charges being brought" (in incommunicado status).

Ivan Zabavskyi was charged with espionage under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code.

On 30 January 2025, the St. Petersburg City Court sentenced Zabavskyi to 11 years in a strict regime penal colony on espionage charges (Article 276 of the Criminal Code).