Artyom Vovchenko, a 27-year-old former Russian soldier who deserted his military post in opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has recently escaped Russia after enduring a prolonged and harrowing journey marked by detention, injury, and a failed asylum application in the United States.

Vovchenko was deported last summer from the United States to Moscow after spending 13 months in U.S. detention facilities and being denied asylum. His deportation occurred under the Trump administration’s policy targeting migrants, including those seeking refuge from military conscription during the war. Upon arrival in Moscow, Russian security officials recognized that Vovchenko was wanted by military prosecutors, facing up to 10 years in prison for desertion.

Originally from a modest family in southern Russia, Vovchenko was conscripted into the Russian military after college and compelled to serve an additional contract year against his will. He opposed President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, viewing the conflict as unjust and traumatic to relations with Ukrainians, whom he considered kin. Anticipating deployment to the Ukrainian front, he fled Russia, traveling first to Indonesia to coach jujitsu, then to Mexico, before crossing into the United States in early 2024 to seek asylum.

While detained in Mississippi, Vovchenko described harsh conditions and mistreatment, including a back injury sustained while working in the detention center’s kitchen. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security denied allegations of substandard conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. After his asylum claim was rejected, Vovchenko was placed on a deportation flight routed through Cairo. During a layover in Egypt, he attempted to persuade authorities to allow him to reach Indonesia instead of returning to Russia. His refusal to board the flight led to physical altercations with Egyptian guards, who he said beat and choked him before securing him on the plane.

Back in Russia, Vovchenko was held at a military detention center near Moscow, which also housed wounded and mentally ill soldiers. Although the environment was less severe than his experience in U.S. detention, he was treated as an outsider by Russian military personnel aware of his time abroad, who nicknamed him “the American.” Vovchenko was not granted state medical care for his injuries, which included three herniated spinal discs, and instead relied on private clinics financed through personal funds.

Over several months, he quietly planned his escape, utilizing treatment trips outside the base to evade supervision. After leaving the facility during one of these visits, he managed to reach the border with Belarus, which maintains open movement policies with Russia. Vovchenko received assistance from Rapid Unit, an underground organization aiding Russian political fugitives, which helped coordinate his travel and logistics in Belarus and beyond. Although the exact details and destination remain undisclosed for security reasons, Vovchenko successfully fled the Russian military’s reach.

Now free but facing ongoing health challenges and financial hardship, Vovchenko is attempting to rebuild his life. A fundraiser organized by Russian America for Democracy in Russia, a U.S.-based support group for Russian asylum seekers, has raised only a fraction of its goal to aid his resettlement. Reflecting on his ordeal, Vovchenko expressed regret about his assumptions regarding the United States asylum system and continues to cope with trauma and fear despite recent participation in a jujitsu tournament.

“I have my own goals, my own dreams,” he said. “I just want to live my life.”