Russian deserter deported from Lithuania to Russia

Lithuanian border guards deported a Russian deserter who voluntarily withdrew his asylum request and agreed to return to Russia. The man was initially detained on December 29 for illegal border crossing and sentenced to nearly five months in prison. He applied for asylum months later while serving his sentence. After release on May 19, he was housed in a foreigner registration center, then re-detained. He later voluntarily withdrew his asylum request and expressed a desire to return home. On June 15, he was handed over to Russian authorities. The border service could neither confirm nor deny whether he was a Russian military deserter. Reports suggest he fled directly from the war in Ukraine and was detained upon return to Russia.