A man who deserted the Russian army and made his way to the UK on a small boat has told his story for the first time. Alisher Hassanov, not his real name, moved to Russia in 2020 from his native Tajikistan.
After working in various jobs he was arrested in 2024 and told that his visa had expired. While in custody, Hassanov was given an ultimatum: Serve in the Russian army or be sent to prison. He told the Times: They said: 'Sign a contract for one year', 'Everything will be fine.' 'If you don't sign, we'll make it so you're sent to prison, and from there they won't even ask you. They'll just send you straight to the front.'”
Hassanov details the grim reality on the frontlines of Putin's war, with little care given to the lives of foot soldiers used as cannon fodder for incremental gains.
After several months of combat in high-intensity operations, Hassanov was injured and sent to the rear to be treated for his injuries.
Following his discharge from hospital, Hassanov was able to return home to Tajikstan to see his parents but feared that his Russian passport, something he says he was forced to accept, would put him at risk of being detained and returned back to the Russian military.
He therefore decided to fly to Turkey with the intention of heading west to safety.
Funded by his service in the Russian army, Hassanov paid £3,500 to a middleman to be smuggled to Germany alongside Afghan migrants.
After being rejected for asylum in the country following the German government's implementation of strict immigration measures, he was left unable to apply for asylum in another EU country, leaving the UK as his favored destination.
He headed to Dunkirk with the intention of reaching Britain via small boat, something he achieved in September at a cost of just over £1,000.
After boarding a dinghy crammed with around 40 people, Hassanov says that the French coastguard handed out life jackets and escorted them before the British coastguard took over.
Describing the perilous journey, he added: “After the fear experienced in war, the adrenaline, the terror, all of this becomes easier.”
Hassanov is now in Britain awaiting the outcome of his asylum application, living with the constant fear of Russian retaliation even now.
He believes that another Tajik man also deserted the Russian military but was caught and has not been heard from since.
He hopes to live in the UK but says that if his application is rejected: “I will not give up, I will keep going.”