A Crimean deserter is on trial in Kyiv.
The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv has begun hearing the case of 34-year-old Stanislav Stashevsky from Crimea.
He was born in Russia, but while attending school, he moved with his parents to Sumy, where he received a Ukrainian passport. After the Second World War began, the family returned to Russia, and Stashevsky became a Russian citizen there.
In 2024, he signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces and fought as a drone operator in the Kherson region. While on vacation, Stashevsky decided to desert – keeping his Ukrainian passport, he traveled to the Baltics, where he sought political asylum.
Instead, he was arrested at the request of the SBU and deported. Stashevsky was detained at the Ukrainian border, carrying a Russian military ID card and even a United Russia membership card.
Stashevsky told reporters at his Kyiv trial that he denies the treason charges because he considers his Russian birth certificate to be more important than the passport he received at school.
He said he hoped to be included in the exchange list and return to Russia.
Crimean deserter on trial in Kyiv :: Read in English