Russian couple flees Ukraine front, faces desertion charges after kayak escape

Alisa and Sergei Sadovnikov, a couple who met during Russia's second year of the Ukraine invasion, decided to abandon their military duties after confronting the brutal reality of the front. Sergei, a combat medic with prior deployments and experience in the Wagner group, described witnessing entire companies wiped out, while Alisa observed mistreatment of women in the ranks. They bought a kayak, stripped it of metal to evade radar, and endured four storms and three days without food while rowing more than 200 miles across the Black Sea to Turkey.

Upon attempting to continue their journey in the Aegean, the Greek Coast Guard intercepted them, confiscated their phones, and transferred them to Turkish border guards in Aydin, where Sergei was reportedly struck in the head. The pair now face possible deportation to Russia, where desertion can result in up to ten years of imprisonment, according to the defector-assistance group Tvyordy Znak.