Soviet General Secretary’s great-grandson reveals why he joined Russia’s war against Ukrane
Brezhnev's alleged great-grandson in Ukrainian captivity (Photo: screenshot)
Anton Milaev, the self-proclaimed great-grandson of Leonid Brezhnev, was captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region. He spoke about the assaults, his life in New York, and why he is afraid to return to Russia, according to an interview with the "I Want to Live" project.
Before ending up in the trenches, Anton Milaev had lived in the UЫ for 19 years. He resided in New York and worked as a handyman. He never obtained a green card and eventually decided to return to Russia. He explained his decision by saying he was tired of working for the Masons and felt nostalgia for his homeland.
Millions in debt and a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense
After returning to Russia, Milaev's life did not go well. He accumulated debts totaling 1 million rubles, and that money became the main motive for him to go to war. In 2025, he signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. For this, he was paid a one-time signing bonus of 1.4 million rubles.
He also attributes his participation in the war to propaganda. "They wanted to see the Nazis," Milaev says.
When the journalist asked whether he had actually seen them, the man replied: "No, we didn't. But we only learned about that once we got here. I think we change our minds about this war."
Like all other contract soldiers, Milaev hoped for quiet service. He expected to become a driver in rear units, but after three weeks of training in the occupied Luhansk region, he was sent to an assault battalion of the 98th Airborne Division.
Meat grinder assaults in the Kherson region
Russian units were deployed to the Kherson region, tasked with crossing the Dnipro River. Milaev describes the raid as hopeless.
"Survival is practically impossible. The bodies of the dead are not evacuated, and they are eaten by wild animals," the prisoner said.
Only half of his group managed to survive. Of the eight people, four remained. Milaev made his way to the river on his own, where he surrendered to a Ukrainian drone. He was later detained by fighters of the 34th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Better in a camp than in Russia
Anton Milaev is currently in Ukrainian captivity. He describes the conditions as luxurious and fully compliant with international law. He was even allowed to call his ex-wife. The man admitted that he had hidden his origins. He did not want anyone to find out about his family ties to Brezhnev.
He categorically does not want to return to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. He fears ending up back at the front or being executed for surrendering to the Ukrainians.
He calls the sound of air raid sirens in the Ukrainian rear a lullaby compared to the artillery barrage at the front.
"I hope I can sit this out here until the war ends," he concluded.
Who is Anton Milaev
Anton Milaev is the son of Evgenii Milaev, the first husband of Halyna Brezhneva. His father was a famous circus acrobat and director of the Moscow Circus. Galina Brezhneva adopted Evgenii's children from his first marriage, as their biological mother died during childbirth.
Anton himself also began his career in the circus. He worked in the footsteps of his father and famous grandfather. However, his career did not bring him wealth, which ultimately led the relative of the Soviet leader to the trenches of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Context
In June, the great-grandson of Soviet Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev, Anton Milaev, was captured by Ukrainian military forces in the south of Ukraine. Russian media were the first to write about it.
