A Russian couple who deserted their military posts after experiencing the brutal realities of the Ukraine invasion are now at risk of being sent back to Russia, where they face imprisonment. Alisa, 30, and Sergei Sadovnikov, 37, embarked on a perilous eight-day journey in a single kayak across the Black Sea to escape. Their flight ended when they were intercepted by the Greek Coast Guard and subsequently placed in the custody of Turkish border guards.
Alisa told RadioFree Europe that she and Sergei fell in love while serving in Ukraine. Initially believing they were fighting for a just cause against an "evil" Kyiv, their perspectives shifted after Sergei was deployed to the front lines. As a combat medic with the 76th Pskov Air Assault Division, Sergei said he witnessed firsthand Russia's "meat grinder" tactic, a strategy involving sending waves of soldiers to their deaths to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. He described seeing entire companies annihilated in front of him.
"The enemy wasn't where we had been told it was — it was right in front of me," Alisa recounted. Both Sergei, who had previously served with the Wagner mercenary group, and Alisa, who reported witnessing abuse of women in the military, became disillusioned with the conflict.
After months on the run, living discreetly, the couple purchased a kayak and set out for the Turkish border. They navigated more than 205 miles across the Black Sea, enduring four storms and at times going without food for three days. To evade radar detection, they removed all metal from the kayak and fashioned a makeshift sail.
Upon reaching Turkey, their journey did not end. They continued by sea, but were intercepted by the Greek Coast Guard in the Aegean Sea. Their phones were confiscated, and they were handed over to Turkish border guards in Aydin. Reports from Tvyordy Znak, an organization assisting Russian defectors, allege that Sergei was struck in the head by Aydin guards while surveillance cameras were turned off. The couple is now at risk of deportation to Russia, where they could face up to 10 years in prison for desertion.