In a first, France welcomes Russian army deserters

Six Russian soldiers who fled the fighting in Ukraine have found refuge in France and hope to receive asylum, in a landmark case of Russian deserters being welcomed in an EU country as a group.

The deserters, all of whom had reached France via Kazakhstan, told AFP in a series of interviews they hoped their actions would encourage other Russian men to defy Moscow authorities and flee the war, now in its third year.

"Maybe, thanks to my example, someone will be inspired and want to quit the army," said Alexander, who unwittingly took part in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"The weaker the army at the front is, the fewer people there are, the quicker the war will end and Ukraine will win," said the 26-year-old.

Among those who have arrived in France over the past few months are mostly those who managed to desert before being sent to the front. Alexander, however, was dispatched to Ukraine but eventually managed to flee.

The six Russian deserters arrived in France thanks to support from rights groups including Russie-Libertes, a Paris-based association. Some arrived with their partners so in total 10 people received permission to enter the country.

Speaking to AFP in the northwestern French city of Caen, Alexander said he was in shock when Russia's invasion began in February, 2022.

Having left with his unit for "military exercises" in the peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014, he recounted crossing the Ukrainian border in a convoy and suddenly finding himself "in another country".

"Our commanders told us it would be over in ten days," he said.

He said he did not engage in combat and dealt largely with communications.

- 'Lived in fear' -

Another deserter said he wanted Russian soldiers to know there was "always" a choice.

"There is always a possibility to lay down your arms, not to kill other people and to end your participation in this war," 27-year-old Sergei (not his real name) said in Paris.

Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Western countries including France have welcomed thousands of anti-Kremlin Russians.

However, activists say European governments have been wary of welcoming Russian soldiers because they are viewed as a security risk and might have committed war crimes.

Olga Prokopieva, head of Russie Libertes, hailed France's "unprecedented" move and urged other European countries to follow suit.

"It has taken us a year of talks," she said. "We have tried so many things."

All the men had been vetted by the activists, Prokopieva said, adding her organization was in touch with more deserters now living in Kazakhstan.

Faced with a choice between taking part in a war of aggression or going to prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, hundreds of deserters and draft dodgers have over the past two years fled to neighboring ex-Soviet countries.

But they do not feel safe in countries like Kazakhstan and Armenia, which have close ties to Moscow, and risk being deported back to Russia to face prosecution.

Apart from being viewed with suspicion in the West, it is also hard for Russian servicemen to seek refuge in Europe for logistical reasons.

Many have documents that only permit them to reach ex-Soviet countries such as Kazakhstan or Armenia, and not the type of Russian passport valid for visas and travel to Europe.

Andrei Amonov was stranded in Kazakhstan for two years before arriving in France.

"I lived in fear for two years," he said.

The 32-year-old road worker from the city of Mirny deep in northeastern Siberia was one day told by his boss he was "fired" and had to go to the front or face prosecution.

Along with other men, Amonov was put on a plane and flown to the city of Ulan-Ude to undergo training. He managed to escape and flew to Kazakhstan.

He was briefly detained on May 12, his birthday, when Kazakh police came to his apartment, handcuffed him and took him to the police station. He was later released.

He was lonely, could not find a permanent job, and suffered from depression and panic attacks.

- 'Best day' -

Sergei, a professional soldier, also said he was afraid of being arrested and deported.

On top of being a deserter, Sergei is gay and lived in the conservative Central Asian country with his partner. "Things were a bit scary in Kazakhstan."

Another deserter, Mikhail (not his real name) said the day the war broke out changed everything. "I realised that from now on I won't move a finger to support this," he said.

A former career officer who now wears his hair long, he recounted in great detail how for months he resisted orders to go to the front and dragged out the legal proceedings authorities launched against him.

He finally fled in May 2023, just days before his trial.

"The day I arrived in Astana was the best day of my life," he said, referring to the capital of Kazakhstan.

In Kazakhstan the deserters met through local rights activists and recorded videos to encourage others to flee the battlefield as part of an initiative dubbed "Farewell to arms".

In France, the men finally feel safe.

Sergei can hold hands with his partner in public. "It is a very nice feeling," he said.

Amonov, who had never before travelled to Europe, is preparing to start a new life in Bordeaux and is learning French and English.

"Freedom, finally! And safety," he said. "At last I am feeling better."