A Russian major who escaped his nation in protest of the invasion of Ukraine and sought asylum in the West is about to be deported, according to his wife, who spoke out on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Following the commencement of the conflict, hundreds of thousands of Russians fled to Kazakhstan and other neighboring countries. A number of them were citizens who crossed legitimately in an effort to escape mobilization.
The 36-year-old Russian Major Mikhail Zhilin, a member of the Federal Protective Service (FSO), which is responsible for the protection of the Russian president, was prohibited from leaving Russia and entered Kazakhstan illegally in September when it became apparent he could be deployed to Ukraine.
Zhilin’s wife Yekaterina and their two kids simultaneously entered Kazakhstan on official business. Zhilin was arrested in Kazakhstan and given a deportation term, which he attempted to avoid by traveling to Armenia. However, he was apprehended once again before he could board the aircraft.
His wife said that after a Kazakh court upheld the deportation decision on Wednesday, Zhilin was already on his way to the border on Thursday even though she was in contact with human rights attorneys to try to stop his deportation.
A statement from Kazakhstan’s interior ministry was not immediately available.
Since the majority of Kazakhs oppose the invasion, Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic that denied Zhilin’s plea for refugee status, walks a tightrope between maintaining good relations with Russia, a significant trading partner, and refraining from actions that might give the impression that it is supporting the war.
