Russian soldiers who quit Putin's war get no hero’s welcome abroad as asylum claims surge

A Russian officer who goes by Yevgeny speaks during an interview at his apartment in Astana, Kazakhstan, in late 2023. He had a friend shoot him in the leg so he could get out off the frontline in Ukraine. "Many of my friends have died. And these were really good guys who didn't want to fight," he said. "But there was no way out for them." This late 2023 photo shows downtown Astana, Kazakhstan, where some Russian soldiers who deserted the war in Ukraine live in hiding while they apply...