Key facts
- Two Russian soldiers arrested attempting to reach Kyiv disguised as civilians.
- The deserters were part of Russia's 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment.
- One deserter has prior convictions for murder and faces high treason charges.
- The other deserter is a Russian citizen who signed a contract to fight in exchange for release from prison.
Two Russian soldiers who deserted their unit in Donetsk Oblast were arrested by Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) on Oct. 28 while attempting to reach Kyiv disguised as civilians. The soldiers, from the 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment, changed into civilian clothes and buried their weapons before seeking a ride towards Dnipro, intending to continue to the capital. One of the men, who has prior murder convictions and has been fighting for Russia since 2016, faces charges of high treason and collaborationist activity. The other is a Russian citizen who joined the fight in exchange for release from prison on a murder charge and is being held as a prisoner of war.