Russian deserters find asylum in France, setting EU precedent
Six Russian army deserters who fled the war in Ukraine have temporarily been granted visas in France. These visas will enable them to apply for political asylum, reported the British daily The Guardian on Wednesday. This is the first widely noted case of a larger group of Russian deserters being accepted by a European Union country.
The Russian soldiers, consisting of veterans from Ukraine, conscripts, and officers, escaped from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2022 and 2023. Some of them participated in front-line actions, while others—fortunately—did not reach the battlefront. Eventually, they individually made their way to Paris over the following months.
- When I landed in Paris, it was the first time I could breathe freely. I felt peace and freedom, the worst was behind me, - said Aleksandr, a former Russian contract soldier, who deserted in the summer of 2023 after being sent to Ukraine, in an interview with "The Guardian".
The deserters chose Kazakhstan as their destination because, at border crossings of former USSR countries like Armenia or Kazakhstan, passports are not required. However, it is difficult for refugees without these documents to move further—moreover, there is a risk of Russian authorities finding them on foreign soil.
Aleksandr mentioned that in Kazakhstan he had to hide to avoid detection by Russian authorities. - I lived like a shadow, without a bank account or a SIM card, I was afraid the Russians would find me - said the former soldier. The difficult conditions make the journey of deserters to the West, especially to EU countries, nearly impossible until now.
The European Union has debated opening asylum procedures for Russian deserters, but no decisions have been made yet. The dilemmas involve not only whether deserters should be accepted at all, but also how to treat them—as heroes, potential threats, or perhaps war criminals.
The acceptance of these six deserters by France is exceptional.
- This is the first time an EU country has accepted a group of deserters who did not possess any travel documents or foreign passports, - quotes "The Guardian" Iwan Czuwiliajew, spokesman for the organization "Go Through the Woods," which supports Russian soldiers in escaping. He emphasized that the decision was made after lengthy discussions between French authorities and human rights organizations.
Czuwiliajew and others involved in assisting deserters express hope that this precedent set by France could pave the way for more such decisions in Western countries.
- Each of the six escapees was thoroughly checked before being accepted to ensure they presented a strong, consistent anti-war stance, - noted Czuwiliajew. In his opinion, this case may prompt more soldiers to desert from the Russian army.
Some Russian deserters pay the highest price for their decision. In February, Captain Maksim Kuzminov, a pilot of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, who first fled to Ukraine and then moved to Spain, was murdered in Spain. His murder is attributed to Russian special services.
