Russian nationals are risking their lives to avoid fighting in the war on Ukraine. They are fleeing the country and seeking asylum in the U.S.

Jimmie Johnson Reporter/Anchor

Russians risk lives to seek asylum in US, avoid fighting in Putin’s war

Oct 07, 2022

Jimmie Johnson Reporter/Anchor

By Jimmie Johnson (Reporter/Anchor), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer)

Russian nationals are risking their lives to avoid fighting in the war against Ukraine. They are fleeing the country and seeking asylum in the U.S.

The dangerous journey across the Bearing Sea highlights the lengths to which some Russians are willing to take to dodge being called up to fight in Putin’s military.

Two Russians landed a small boat on St. Lawrence island Thursday, which is about 40 miles from mainland Russia. The men told Coast Guard officials they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia.

In a statement, Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Ark., said the daring incident proves that “the Russian people don’t want to fight Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” He also said it exposed a need for greater security in the arctic, where Russian military ships and aircraft have increasingly asserted their presence.

In recent weeks, Russians have suffered heavy losses in Ukraine and multiple retreats.

Ukrainian forces have recaptured 200 square miles of territory from Russian forces in Kherson and Kharkiv, and Putin’s plan to mobilize 300,000 men has sparked a mass exodus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tags: Dan Sullivan, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

{***ANCHOR***}

[TITLE: RUSSIAN RESERVISTS FLEE]

[JIMMIE NAME SUPER]

[L3: RUSSIANS WASH UP ON ALASKAN ISLAND]

SOME RUSSIANS ARE NOW RISKING THEIR LIVES TO FLEE THE WAR IN UKRAINE.

TWO NATIONALS BRAVED THE BERING SEA BY BOAT AND LANDED ON A REMOTE ISLAND IN ALASKA.

{***VO***}

[file name: |source: ]

[L3: RUSSIANS SEEKING ASYLUM IN US]

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT THEY ARE NOW SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES. THEIR DANGEROUS JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTS THE LENGTHS TO WHICH SOME RUSSIANS HAVE GONE TO AVOID BEING CALLED UP TO PUTIN’S MILITARY. HAVING SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES IN UKRAINE, AND MULTIPLE RETREATS IN RECENT WEEKS, PUTIN’S PLAN TO MOBILIZE 300,000 MEN HAS SPARKED A MASS EXODUS.

AN ESTIMATED 200,000 RUSSIANS HAVE FLED SINCE THE CALL-UP.

[file name: |source: ]

[L3: SECURITY CONCERNS IN BERING SEA]

THE TWO ASYLUM SEEKERS LANDED ON THE TIP OF ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND WHICH IS ABOUT 40 MILES FROM MAINLAND RUSSIA.THEY HAVE SINCE BEEN TRANSPORTED TO ANCHORAGE FOR PROCESSING.

[file name: |source: ]

ALASKAN SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE DARING INCIDENT PROVES THAT “THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO FIGHT PUTIN’S WAR OF AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE.” HE ALSO SAID IT EXPOSED A NEED FOR GREATER SECURITY IN THE ARCTIC, WHERE RUSSIAN MILITARY SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT HAVE INCREASINGLY ASSERTED THEIR PRESENCE.

[file name: |source: ]

[L3: UKRAINIAN FORCES RECAPTURE LARGE TERRITORY]

IN THE MEANTIME, UKRAINIAN FORCES HAVE RECAPTURED 200 SQUARE MILES OF TERRITORY FROM RUSSIAN FORCES IN THE LAST WEEK. RUSSIA IS IN RETREAT ON TWO FRONTS, AFTER UKRAINE LAUNCHED MASSIVE COUNTEROFFENSIVES IN LATE AUGUST AND RECAPTURED LARGE AREAS OF TERRITORY.