Russian soldiers are making efforts to escape the war in Ukraine. This try faces a very difficult and dangerous path. If they desert, they could be sanctioned under Russian law. It also seems impossible for them to reach safely to their homelands outside of Russia’s control.
Recently, six soldiers attempted to escape from Russia to Kazakhstan and then shifted towards France. France allows them to enter the nation without checking their travel documents. This is the first time that an EU country has done this.
One soldier, Alexander, felt free and calm for the first time when he arrived in France in 2023 after deserting. Since the Russia-Ukraine war started in February 2022, more than 7,400 soldiers have been put on trial for their seats. With time, this figure is increasing. But these are only the few numbers of soldiers that have the desire to desert but are too afraid.
The France incident highlights how crucial it is to Russian soldiers’ choices rather than committing war. Ark is the group that helps Russians who want peace and criticize the war. The leader of this group, Anastasia Burakova, said it is important for Russian soldiers to understand the value of peace as compared to violence. The European Union has discussed allowing Russian soldiers to live in Europe, especially those who oppose the war. Nut EU has not made any decisions yet.
The lives of many deserters are in danger. “Go By The Forest,” is the group that shows favoritism for those soldiers who don’t want to fight, revealing some facts. According to them, in March 2024, 30% of the 520 soldiers they helped were hiding in Russia, while others escaped to other countries.
Russian law is very strict. All those soldiers who opposed the war could face many complexities, such as a punishment for lives of 10 years in prison. Some reports say that some Russian soldiers in Ukraine are kept in awful conditions, like in pits or basements, by their bosses. This is because they refuse to fight against Ukraine.
Deserters trying to leave Russia have very few choices. Without passports, they only travel to neighboring nations such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, or Kyrgyzstan. In these countries, there is no need for documentary papers. But once they reached there, their situation was still in danger zone.
In other nations, one of the toughest tasks is to find a job, especially for those who don’t have legal status. This condition makes it hard to stay or leave these nations. Furthermore, they also face the risk of being kidnapped. In December 2023, one of the deserters, Dmitri Sedrakov, was caught in Armenia. He was sent back to Russia, while some others had been sent back from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Groups like The Ark help deserters reach these countries but cannot promise their safety. Recently, six Russian soldiers got temporary visas to ask for political asylum in France. These visas were given after careful checks with human rights groups to make sure the soldiers opposed the war in Ukraine, using software to verify their backgrounds
According to Burakova, they are able to identify soldiers who have not committed war crimes or who were simply sent to Russian military installations rather than seized Ukrainian territory. The European Union made it harder for Russians to get visas after the invasion of Ukraine, and numerous nations stopped issuing them. Despite this, troops seeking to flee the fighting frequently contacted Ark. It is really difficult to advise these troops on what to do next, Burakova said.
She thinks that additional Russian soldiers may decide to flee if France decides to grant visas to deserters. Updates from The Ark and another group, Go By The Forest, are shared via Telegram channels that are still available in Russia.
Burakova believes their work will show soldiers that there is a path out of the military, which may help bring the battle to a quicker conclusion.
