EU issues visas for Russian army deserters for first time - BBC
Illustrative photo: Russian soldier (Getty Images)
The European Union has issued visas for the first time to a group of Russian deserters. They have already applied for asylum in France, BBC reports.
According to the report, one of the visa recipients participated in the war against Ukraine. The others are career officers, two of whom were mobilized but avoided being sent to the front.
The media notes that the European authorities placed significant importance on the deserters' "strong, consistent anti-war stance," rather than just the fact of desertion. Currently, all six deserters have reached France and have begun the asylum application process.
Interestingly, last year, the National Court of France on asylum matters ruled in favor of Russian deserters and draft evaders' right to seek asylum.
Desertion in the Russian army
Earlier, we reported that the level of desertion in the Russian army has reached a record high since the beginning of the war. Specifically, in March of this year, Russian courts charged 684 soldiers with desertion, which is a record number.
