On the 4th of October, Russian contract soldiers were seen training in southern Russia, as highlighted by an image sourced from European news agencies. In a significant development, six Russian deserters have applied for asylum with the French government and received temporary visas. Among them are soldiers who have fought in the Russia-Ukraine war, including conscripts and officers. Human rights activists are calling this a landmark case, marking the first instance of a group of Russian deserters being permitted to enter an EU country.
According to reports from The Guardian and organizations that assist soldiers in fleeing, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have escaped or refused combat orders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The organization Go By The Forest, which has been pivotal in aiding these deserters, revealed that the group fled to Kazakhstan in 2022 and 2023 and arrived in Paris in recent months.
With over 2,000 deserters aided thus far, Go By The Forest spokesperson Ivan Chuviliaev stated, “This is the first time an EU country has allowed a group of deserters to enter without any travel documents or passports.” He emphasized that France’s willingness to accept these individuals could set a precedent, sending a strong signal to other Western nations and potentially accelerating the process while encouraging more Russian soldiers to leave the military.
However, a prolonged debate persists among Western nations regarding how to regard Russian deserters: should they be seen as heroes, potential security risks, or war criminals? While discussions around granting asylum have taken place within the EU and its member states, no conclusive decisions have been reached, and securing asylum remains challenging for most deserters.
Many Russian soldiers are opting for countries like Armenia and Kazakhstan, where they can enter without a passport, but they still find themselves stranded, uncertain about their next destination.
Russia’s independent outlet Mediazone has reported that the Kremlin has prosecuted at least 7,400 deserters over the past two years for allegedly abandoning their posts without permission. Given authorities’ systematic efforts to conceal information about the military, the actual number may be even higher.
Additionally, Russia is tracking down deserters who are hiding abroad, exerting geopolitical pressure on these countries to return them.
