France has granted temporary refuge to six Russian soldiers who fled rather than fight the war in Ukraine, the first time a European Union country has let in deserters without passports or travel documents. An anti-war activist who helped them escape tells RFI about the difficult process of getting former fighters to safety.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began two years ago, thousands of Russian soldiers have either deserted or refused to follow orders, according to human rights activists and groups aiding those who flee.
At least six of them have received temporary entry permits while they apply for political asylum in France, British newspaper The Guardian revealed this week.
Ivan Chuviliaev, a spokesman for anti-war group Get Lost – also known by the direct translation of its Russian name, “Go By The Forest” – told RFI that his organisation helped three of the six soldiers get to Paris, via Kazakhstan.
“We helped them to leave the front line. Our colleagues in Kazakhstan – human rights organisations – helped them to stay safe out there,” Chuviliaev explains.
Many Russian deserters have sought refuge in neighbouring post-Soviet countries like Armenia and Kazakhstan, where they can enter without a full passport.
But reaching EU countries is a tougher challenge. “The most important part of our job was communicating with French and European officials,” Chuviliaev says.
“That was conducted by In Transit – a German organisation – and with Russian activists from Russie-Libertés based in Paris … It was a very long and complicated process, conducted from different sides by different organisations and from our side,” he adds.
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Screening process
A group in Kazakhstan screened each case before the soldiers were cleared to come to France, Chuviliaev says.
“There were at least two evaluations with any deserter, any Russian soldier,” he tells RFI, explaining that his group systematically verifies their stories.
“It is double-checked that they didn't participate in any military operation against civilians. Of course, they may have participated in military operations on the front line – in the woods or in the fields – but it is double-checked so we can guarantee that none of these guys are military criminals,” he says.
Concerned about admitting possible war criminals or potential security risks, Ukraine’s allies have so far been slow to admit Russian deserters.
France’s National Asylum Court ruled in July 2023 that Russians who refuse to serve in Ukraine are eligible for refugee status, provided they can prove they were called up.
But no official figures have been shared on how many former soldiers may have applied for asylum in France, nor has the EU agreed on a common policy.
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Uncertain life in exile
Meanwhile, Moscow has intensified its crackdown on deserters, both at home and abroad.
Since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin has enacted stricter laws that increase prison sentences for soldiers on the run to up to 15 years and authorise the confiscation of their property.
And for Russian deserters or dissidents abroad, the Kremlin has a notoriously far reach.
“Once they're out of the country, they still face massive challenges,” says Chuviliaev, who now lives in Spain and runs Get Lost with other Russians in exile.
The organisation estimates it has helped more than 500 soldiers to desert, most of whom fled abroad, and hopes France’s decision to let in these six will encourage other EU countries to follow suit – even if Chuviliaev stresses that reaching Europe isn’t the end of the ordeal.
“As a person who was born in Russia, I will never stop fearing people in military uniform. I will never stop fearing policemen, even here in Spain,” he says.
“There is no country in the world where Russian human rights activists, journalists, deserters or anybody can feel safe.”
