Full Breakdown
Russian Deserter’s Asylum Fight Highlights Germany’s Near-Zero Acceptance Rate
7/20/2026, 8:54:06 PM
Nikita Zvezdov’s Flight and Asylum Journey
Nikita Zvezdov, a 19-year-old from Krasnoyarsk, was drafted into the Russian army shortly after his 18th birthday in April 2024 and assigned to unit 25573 near Ussuriysk. After a month of service he was ordered to a combat zone near Melitopol, prompting him to discard his uniform and flee. He traveled through Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, where he first applied for political asylum, before arriving in Germany in December 2025 to stay with his grandfather. Germany rejected his claim under the EU’s Dublin rule, which assigns responsibility to the first EU country of entry—Croatia. The deadline for Germany to return him to Croatia is the end of July 2026; until then he lives under “church asylum” in a congregation near Aachen.
German Asylum Procedure and the Dublin Rule
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) says each application is examined individually and protection is granted only when there is a “real, individual and justified fear of persecution.” Despite a 2022 statement by the previous German government that conscientious objectors deserve protection, BAMF has repeatedly found that deserters do not face a “real risk” of severe persecution, leading to widespread rejections. In 2025 the Bundestag recorded 126 deportations of Russian nationals back to Russia.
Human-Rights Context and Reports of Abuse
Human-rights organization Solidarus notes that hundreds of Russian deserters have been sent directly to front-line units and detained in illegal facilities, including 29 identified by Astra in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk. Former soldiers describe makeshift prisons where detainees are extorted, beaten, starved and subjected to torture. These conditions are cited by activists as evidence of the danger deserters could face if returned.
Criticism of German Rejection Policy
Legal experts and activists argue that political statements do not translate into practice, and that Germany’s strict interpretation of the Dublin rule effectively nullifies protection for Russian deserters. Solidarus manager Alexey Kozlov says the new coalition government’s policies have reduced the already slim chances of asylum to “practically zero.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “I promised myself and my relatives that I would not sign a contract for the [conflict],” — Nikita Zvezdov
- “They sent me to a training ground where they also did whatever they wanted — officers shot many conscripts in their legs, beat them up and punished them for everything they could and could not do,” — Nikita Zvezdov
- “Do 200 pushups in a gas mask and run 50 laps in a bulletproof vest with 25 to 30 kilos on top.” — Nikita Zvezdov
- “I realized that in principle I definitely have no choice but to run. You won't be able to wait it out either,” — Nikita Zvezdov
- “They bring the soldiers there with bags over their heads,” — former Russian soldier (anonymous, speaking to Astra)
