August M
He says he survived weeks wounded and alone, buried under debris near the front line. What followed, he claims, was a desperate escape from the very army he had joined to avoid prison.
According to Wiadomości, Anton Lysov is now in Armenia after fleeing Russian forces, despite being officially listed as missing.
Escape first
Lysov told Wiadomości he fled after being threatened with death for refusing further combat.
“We’ll tie you to a truck, and when the drone lands, we’ll all scatter, and you’ll stay and die,” he recalls being told by commanders.
The report describes how he escaped with two other soldiers, eventually making his way back into Russia. In his account, he suggests gaps in the system allowed him to move without being stopped.
Weeks in ruins
Before that, Wiadomości reports he had been seriously injured during fighting near Volchansk.
Lysov said he was trapped under rubble for an extended period, surviving with minimal water and drifting in and out of consciousness. He believed at one point he would not make it.
According to the outlet, he was eventually located after managing to re-establish contact, and guided out of the area.
Inside the ranks
After returning to his unit, Lysov described a climate of fear and coercion, Wiadomości reports.
He alleged that soldiers who refused orders faced severe consequences, including executions within the unit, and said bodies were later discovered on the grounds.
The report notes that such claims could not be independently verified.
Path to war
Wiadomości reports that Lysov’s route to the front began in Belarus, where he had been imprisoned for arson.
He told the outlet he had accepted the job for money when he was younger and only later understood the political context of his case.
After being transferred to Russia and receiving a reduced sentence, he chose to enlist. In his account, he said this decision came after mounting psychological pressure and personal setbacks.
Living in limbo
Now abroad, Lysov says he has no clear future but is relieved to have escaped.
He indicated that, had he understood what awaited him, he would have chosen to remain in prison rather than go to war.
Wiadomości reports he remains officially listed as missing, highlighting administrative gaps that may delay formal recognition of desertion.
Sources: Wiadomości
