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Exasperated by the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine, Pavel Filatiev, a former paratrooper, decided to desert his country and find refuge in France. Under the influence of a heavy prison sentence, he asked for the right of asylum in France.
Pavel Filatiev’s first gesture on French soil is symbolic: he tears up his military card and his Russian passport before throwing them in the toilet. “Jlove Russia and Russians but Putin is not Russia and Russians. Putin will show you”, says the now ex-Russian soldier. Paratrooper and elite soldier, Pavel Filatiev was hit in combat and removed from the front. He shares his experience:Russians and Ukrainians were killing each other, but civilians were also being killed. Lots of civilians.”
It is in the hospital that the soldier begins to write and recounts what is happening on the front. Quickly under the spotlight but under the yoke of threats, he was exfiltrated in France by whistleblowers. His command claims 15 years in prison against him. For his part, Pavel Filatiev affirms that: “Many Russians do not want this war. Ukraine is a shame for our country.” In addition to the right to asylum, Filatiev asks for police protection.