A Russian military officer who illegally crossed into Kazakhstan because he objected to the invasion of Ukraine has been detained there, his family said, leaving Kazakh authorities with a diplomatic dilemma over whether to hand him over to Moscow.
Hundreds of thousands of Russians fled to Kazakhstan and other neighbouring states after the war started. Many of them were civilians, crossing legally as they sought to avoid a Russian mobilisation order.
As an army officer, Major Zhilin, 36, was barred from leaving Russia and he illegally crossed into Kazakhstan in September when it became clear he could be sent to Ukraine, his wife Yekaterina told Reuters.
