A former member of the mercenary Wagner Group who illegally crossed the Russian border into Finland in June told Finnish authorities that he was fleeing the war, according to documents obtained by Yle.
According to the Finnish Border Guard, a preliminary probe determined that the person had committed a border crime. However, because he applied for asylum, the case will not proceed to prosecutors for consideration of changes and he will not face penalties for the crime.
The ex-Wagner soldier entered Kitee, Finland by land on 17 June.
"I am fleeing the war to seek asylum in another country. I'm on active duty and have left my unit," the man told Finnish authorities during questioning.
Citing information it had obtained, Yle reported in July that the suspected border crosser was a Russian soldier named Yevgeni, who had identified himself on social media as a Wagner Group soldier.
In social media posts, he has harshly criticised Russia's military leadership, accusing commanders of leaving troops "to rot in the fields".
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is carrying out a preliminary probe of the man to determine whether he may have been involved in war crimes. However, the agency said it does not have such suspicions.
The Border Guard has not released or confirmed the man's identity. Some of the preliminary investigation materials became public after it was completed.
The materials say that the man had admitted he had crossed the land border to enter Finland.
Crossing over
The day after his apprehension, he spoke with Joensuu police, saying he had crossed the border illegally, but had done so "without any options to seek protection and assistance in Europe".
He said that Finland was the closest place to cross the border out of Russia.
He also said that he planned the journey himself, adding that no one assisted or advised him — apart from getting a car ride from two friends near the border. Then, the man said he walked through the forested terrain towards Finland with the help of his smartphone and the outdoor activities app AlpineQuest.
Yevgeni said the drop-off point in Russia was about 10 to 20 kilometers away south of Ruskeala in Russia, and then hiked 12 or 13 km west, towards Finland.
He said altogether, the hike took about 24 hours, including a four-hour nap along the way.
He characterised the conditions on the route as "terrible, there were bears and difficult terrain".
Was headed for Paris
But Finland was not his original destination, as he planned to continue the journey to reach a friend in Paris.
"I didn't originally want to stay in Finland, I wanted to go to France to see a friend who'd also fled the war. I didn't plan to stay in Finland because I don't know anyone here. I plan to apply for asylum in Finland and stay here anyway," he said.
An examination of his smartphone enabled authorities to verify his route from Russia to Finland. Investigators were also able to confirm his identity and found evidence of an alias he had used.
During interrogations, Yevgeni said he managed to cross the border fence by crawling under it, but added that he was unable to show the location on a map.
He said that the crossing was not well-planned.
"I just set off," he told investigators.
According to him, as a soldier, Russia would not have granted him a passport so he could travel abroad.
"If I had been captured in Russia, I would have been imprisoned and taken to the front," he said, adding that he wanted to explain why he fled.
"I just came to seek help where I can receive shelter. I just want to live, and I don't want war," he said.
Yevgeni remains detained in Finland, as authorities examine the grounds for his asylum application.
Yevgeni has declined Yle's requests for an interview.
Edited to reflect that Yevgeni characterised his crossing as not well-planned.
