Artyom Vovchenko Escapes Russian Base After U.S. Deportation, Facing Up to 10 Years
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 1
Artyom Vovchenko Escapes Russian Base After U.S. Deportation, Facing Up to 10 Years
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 1
Summary
27-year-old Artyom Vovchenko escaped from a Russian military base after the United States deported him to Moscow last summer, where military prosecutors were seeking him.
13 months in three U.S. detention centers ended with his asylum bid denied and his return to Russia in chains, despite his claim that he deserted over opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Weeks at the base awaiting trial changed his outlook: Vovchenko said he quietly planned his escape, drawing on discipline from years of martial-arts training.
His case highlights strains and loopholes in Russia’s wartime system as authorities handle growing numbers of deserters and wounded soldiers from the Ukraine war.