Victoria Obidina was reportedly separated from her four-year-old daughter, Alice, on Mother's Day (May 8) during an evacuation operation from the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged Ukrainian southern port city of Mariupol.

Obidina was a military physician who, according to media reports, treated fighters barricaded in the steel plant that became a stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, most of which has been taken by the Russians.

Victoria Obidina was captured by Russian troops, according to reports from the Ukrainian Azov Brigade. Ukrainian media reported that she is being held in a so-called 'filtration camp' in Mangush, in the so-called DPR [Donetsk People's Republic] -- a region of eastern Ukraine under the control of pro-Russian forces.

Meanwhile, her daughter Alice reportedly reached the city of Zaporizhzhia, roughly 250 kilometers from Mariupol, where is staying with a host family.

Video of child hiding in steel plant's tunnels widely shared

The story of the doctor and her daughter has circulated widely on Ukrainian social media, where many have called for the release of the woman using a hashtag that means "return Alice's mother".

Alice and Victoria had appeared in a video showing the people seeking safety inside the steel plant's tunnels, before an agreement was reached between Russia, Ukraine and international institutions to evacuate about 1,000 civilians from the nuclear bomb shelters in the steel plant. The video had been shared by the Mariupol town council in a post, saying that they were "calling on the international community to stop the genocide and save people."

The video showed the child playing with a book in her hands and answering questions while keeping her eyes lowered.

The video showed the little girl responding to questions such as "What do you want to say to those watching you?" ("I want to be evacuated.") and "Do you like it here?" ("I want to go to my home.").