Former Wagner fighter seeks asylum in Finland after fleeing across Russian border, media reports
A former fighter with Russia's Wagner mercenary group has requested asylum in Finland after illegally crossing the border near the town of Kitee, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported on July 12.
Wagner Group fighters, including those linked to far-right paramilitary units, have been central to some of Russia's most notorious campaigns in Ukraine. Thousands of former convicts joined Wagner in 2022 after being promised amnesty in exchange for service.
The man, identified only as Yevgeny, reportedly served in a Wagner assault unit and fought in eastern Ukraine, including in Bakhmut and around Selydove. Finnish authorities apprehended him on June 17 shortly after he entered the country near Vaylivaara, a forested area not protected by border fencing, Yle said.
According to the outlet, Finnish border guards detected the man through sensor alarms and detained him immediately after the crossing. He is now in a temporary detention facility and has applied for international protection.
Yevgeny had previously been featured by Russian state media as a model soldier. Since late 2024, he has been publicly criticizing the Russian military leadership.
In a video published on June 30, apparently filmed after his arrival in Finland, he accused Russian commanders of abandoning their soldiers "to rot in the fields" and deceiving the families of the dead.
Though Finnish authorities have not officially confirmed the man's identity, the Central Criminal Police (KRP) said they are conducting a preliminary investigation into a person who reportedly served with Wagner and crossed the border illegally. At this time, Finnish officials have no evidence linking Yevgeny to war crimes.
Yle reported that Yevgeny had previously been convicted of robbing a jewelry store in Omsk in 2023, receiving a 6-year sentence. He was later recruited to fight in Ukraine, part of a broader Russian practice of offering convicts reduced sentences in exchange for military service.
Legal experts say Ukraine could request his extradition, though this would depend on whether Kyiv presents sufficient evidence. If Yevgeny commanded a military unit, he could be held accountable for the actions of his subordinates.
In March, a Finnish court sentenced Russian neo-Nazi mercenary Yan Petrovsky to life in prison for war crimes committed in Luhansk Oblast in 2014. Petrovsky, co-leader of the Rusich paramilitary unit linked to Wagner, was convicted of participating in the execution of Ukrainian soldiers.
Prosecutors presented video evidence of the killings, which the court deemed sufficient despite Petrovsky's denials. Ukraine had requested his extradition, but Finnish courts rejected the request over human rights concerns.
Wagner mercenaries played a critical role in Russia's capture of Bakhmut in May 2023, suffering enormous losses. Estimates suggest as many as 20,000 fighters — many of them former prisoners — died in the battle.
Following a failed rebellion in June 2023, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a suspicious plane crash two months later. After the mutiny, Wagner fighters were folded into official Russian military structures, including the National Guard and Chechen units.
According to Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), Wagner veterans top the Kremlin's wish list during prisoner exchanges. "They have indeed been working hard on their return," HUR spokesperson Andrii Yusov said in April.