'I Was Trapped in Russia's Secret Prison for Defectors': A Deserter's Terrifying Tale

In October 2022, Georgy, a 44-year-old father of three who resides in the Moscow outskirts of Lyubertsy, was called up for military service and dispatched to Ukraine against his will due to significant health problems as well as his strong anti-war stance.

Following two unsuccessful escape attempts and enduring two heart attacks, he successfully deserted in May 2024. Currently residing in Europe with his family, Georgy is now applying for political asylum.

A particular segment of his suffering was exceptionally distressing: the period he spent in clandestine lockups where those who had fled faced harsh circumstances.

President Vladimir Putin has denied The presence of specialized internment facilities for individuals who have deserted from the military.

Almost 16,000 troops have been charged Due to their deliberate choice not to participate since Russia's comprehensive attack on Ukraine, as reported by independent media outlets.

Georgy's account was confirmed by the Farewell to Arms organization and the InTransit crisis team. His surname has been kept private for security purposes.

'You came here to perish'

Georgy, who was trained as a civil engineer, never thought he would end up being conscripted. Having been diagnosed with hypertension and a heart issue several years prior, he was classified as "only partially fit" for military duty. Moreover, since that classification, his vision has deteriorated further, and he broke one of his feet.

In September 2022, when he was called to the military office to "clear up some paperwork," he thought it would be nothing more than a standard procedure.

I departed early that morning under the impression that I would present my passport and military identification, verify certain information, and then proceed to my job," he remembered. "However, upon arrival, I noticed two separate queues: one for individuals such as myself and another for volunteers. Surprisingly, most of the volunteers were denied entry, whereas those of us who fit into the other category—they required our assistance.

In just a few minutes, Georgy received a mobilization order. There was no medical examination. Upon objecting, authorities informed him that the health check would be performed later at his designated unit. However, this never occurred.

Even his employer — a significant construction contractor for the Moscow city administration — couldn’t lend assistance. Regardless of their early assurances to arrange a non-combat position for him, they classified him as a rifleman and dispatched him to a training facility.

The training was ridiculous," Georgy stated. "We shot some rounds with rusty guns and then just roamed around for the remainder of the time. No one actually instructed us on anything.

In November 2022, he was deployed to the 1855th Battalion and dispatched to Ukraine. The officers informed the soldiers that they belonged to a prestigious "elite Moscow unit" and wouldn’t face direct combat situations.

They assured us that 'Moscow would protect you,' " Georgy stated. "But it was all deception.

His initial thoughts about Ukraine were bleak.

"It was utter pandemonium—like being transported back in time to when the German army invaded Moscow in 1941, except with modern attire. Late autumn, continuous rainfall, muddy paths where roads should be, devastated towns...a countryside laid waste by conflict," he remembered.

He continues to be tormented by a speech that was delivered to his unit by their regiment commander, Alexander Zavadsky.

“As quoted by Georgy, Zavadsky said, ‘You’re here to die.’ If you want to go back home, then depart in a body bag,” he stated.

Shortly thereafter, Zavadsky was awarded The "Hero of Russia" medal awarded by Putin.

Following many nights of surviving in the woods with neither protection nor provisions, Georgy realized he must get away. Seizing the opportunity during the turmoil at the forefront, he managed to hop onto a military vehicle heading towards the town of Troitske.

When they requested a password from me at the check points, I would simply shrug and they let me pass without any hassle," he explained. "Most of the guards had also been recently called up to duty; hence, many weren't quite sure about their responsibilities.

'We have our own secret police around'

When he tried to cross back into Russia, Georgy and a group of fellow deserters were ambushed. A patrol helicopter opened fire, killing two of the men. The survivors were captured and handed over to the military police, who warned them to forget what they'd witnessed.

"I believed they were taking me to Zaitsevo , which had gained notoriety for detaining defectors. However, we found ourselves in a basement in Rozsypne," Georgy remembered.

Rozsypne — formerly a Ukrainian border outpost — was an unofficial prison Used for holding Russian soldiers who were trying to escape.

It was horrifying," he stated. "The ground was covered with sand, the walls were stained with blood, and our sleeping arrangements consisted of wooden bunks. The place was divided into two areas: one designated for 're-education'—where I stayed—and another for those labeled as 'unfit.' In that area, we were responsible for cleaning all the blood; it seemed omnipresent, even splattered across the ceiling.

Prisoners were fed twice a day — barely enough to survive — and taken to the toilet only twice daily. Those who refused to return to the front were beaten and tortured.

"They subjected us to electric shocks and punched us in the stomach—just enough to cause pain without leaving marks. Those deemed undesirable were executed immediately. Their cries echoed through the walls," Georgy stated.

The strain and mistreatment had severe consequences. Georgy experienced a heart attack but managed to survive due to a compassionate local physician, formerly a defector as well, who recommended complete bed rest along with necessary medications.

“It felt as though I had stepped into a time machine. Horrific acts such as abuse, beatings, and torture occurred there. To witness something like this in the 21st century was truly disturbing,” he stated. “Being part of an earlier generation, we grew up believing that during World War II, we fought against malevolent fascists. However, it appears that we also harbor this darkness within our systems. Those responsible for inflicting pain did so under orders and after receiving instruction. Despite propaganda suggesting the presence of fascists in Ukraine, we essentially have our very own variant of Germany’s Gestapo operating domestically.”

Ultimately, once he consented to his commanders' request to "recant" for abandoning his post, he was dispatched to engage in combat close to the Russian-controlled city of Svatove as part of the notorious assignment. Storm Z squad.

An explosion close by wounded him once more — fracturing his leg, causing a concussion, and inducing yet another heart attack.

He was briefly sent home to recuperate. However, understanding that returning to a military hospital would result in his return to combat, Georgy went missing, secretly staying hidden for almost a year in an abandoned village within the Tula region.

However, in December 2024, during an infrequent visit to see his relatives in Moscow, he was confronted by three undercover agents. Before long, he found himself aboard a military aircraft headed for Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.

Inside Kaliningrad’s secret prison

In Kaliningrad, he was detained at a military prison which was reportedly an old German SS barrack from World War II.

The organization of this facility surpassed what Georgy had seen before at ad-hoc detention sites. Inmates were kept inside barracks with close monitoring and accompanied for their meals.

The sole distinction was that we were on the second floor and received three meals daily rather than just two," he stated. "Now, however, the torment was mental, not physical.

Prisoners were given a grim choice: jail or return to war. Many of those who chose prison, thinking it would guarantee their safety, ended up redeployed anyway. When Georgy was told that he was set to be flown back to the front line, he was saved by a bureaucratic mishap — a prosecutor failed to complete his paperwork on time.

He finally got approval for his much-awaited medical assessment, but this came with the condition that he had to cast his vote for Putin in the March 2024 presidential election and provide proof by submitting a picture of his completed ballot.

However, the prosecutor’s assistant requested that doctors consider Georgy fit for service regardless. All but one doctor agreed—the cardiologist insisted he be admitted to a hospital instead. Yet this intervention proved futile as well.

At the hospital, they miraculously upgraded my status from 'partially fit' to 'fit with minor restrictions.' ... It seems the walls of Germany possess some healing properties," Georgy quipped.

Even though the environment resembled a prison, inmates managed to obtain alcohol and drugs by offering bribes. Since Georgy refrained from participating, he earned the label of "model prisoner" and received the so-called "privilege" of fresh air: he was tasked with assisting in the construction of a villa for the battalion commander without compensation.

There wasn’t a guard escort; instead, a major kept an eye on us. Fellow prisoners who were former convicts shared some escape techniques with me and provided civilian clothing. A week later, I scaled the fence, hailed a taxi to the airport, and boarded a flight to St. Petersburg.

During his consultation with Idite Lesom ("Get Lost"), an organization assisting Russian military defectors, Georgy traveled to Uzbekistan through Belarus. Following a failed bid for asylum in Spain, he proceeded to Georgia.

Once the officials understood he had escaped, they shifted their focus to his wife, Oksana, who stayed in Lyubertsy with their kids.

The investigators began reaching out towards the end of June," Oksana stated. "They informed me that his health wasn't significant, that he was finished, and the sole option left was to capitulate. I responded with 'Your message has been recorded.'

The police reached out to their oldest child, now 18 years old, and warned that they might go to her siblings' school. In September, they conducted a raid at the family home using a search warrant.

Oksana stated, "They confiscated all of our electronic devices." She continued, "I was devastated when they also stormed my elderly parents' house." She added, "On Orthodox Christmas Eve, when they returned with another search warrant, we chose to depart."

In January, Oksana departed from Russia and joined her spouse in Europe, following his move there post Georgia’s contentious November 2024 elections, which sparked concerns about potential persecution. Currently, they are waiting for an outcome regarding their asylum request.

After more than two years, Georgy mentioned that his family now genuinely feels secure, even though the future remains uncertain.

"The bureaucratic system is challenging, yet the individuals around us remain composed, friendly, and understanding. Departing was difficult, however, we are now concentrating on bringing up our kids as Europeans," he stated.