The 24-year-old from Ufa said he was misled into signing a drone-pilot contract in Ryazan, later reached Yerevan via Minsk, and is awaiting an EU humanitarian visa.
He said officers ignored his schizophrenia diagnosis, beat him, and sent him towards Voronezh after poor training, while anti-war group Idite Lesom helped him escape.
The group says at least 3,000 Russian deserters have used its help, amid broader desertions driven by abuse, poor conditions and deceptive recruitment linked to the Ukraine war.
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Inside the Crisis of Russian Military Desertion: Oleg’s Escape and the International Struggle to Protect Fugitives
Overview
Oleg, forcibly conscripted despite a medical exemption, endured severe trauma on the front lines of the Ukraine conflict, leading him to desert and seek help from the anti-war group Idite Lesom. With their support, he escaped to Armenia, where accessible entry policies allowed his arrival but short-term visas have left him in legal limbo, anxiously awaiting humanitarian protection. Russian security agents' illegal abductions and Armenia's extradition treaty with Russia heighten his fear and psychological distress. Meanwhile, widespread desertion driven by combat fatigue and trauma weakens Russia's military, prompting harsh crackdowns. International asylum barriers trap many like Oleg in precarious situations, exposing a critical humanitarian and geopolitical crisis.