A plane transporting Russian nationals deported from the United States arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, raising concerns that some passengers may unjustly face imprisonment.
Dmitry Valuev, the head of the American diaspora organization Russian America for Democracy in Russia, stated that several individuals aboard the flight held anti-government sentiments, which could make them vulnerable to political persecution.
“Unfortunately, there were individuals deported because their asylum requests were denied,” Valuev mentioned regarding the flight, which has been verified by The New York Times. “These are people with opposition viewpoints—those who support democratic and pro-European ideals, and this is a significant tragedy.”
Valuev, who advocates for Russian asylum seekers who are in detention, revealed that he was unaware of the specific number of Russians deported in this latest operation.
According to the exiled Russian media outlet Mediazona, a family member of one of the passengers reported that there were 64 individuals on the flight.
Upon landing, men from the flight were immediately presented with military summons, Valuev informed the exiled outlet Agenstvo.
The flight departed from Arizona around noon on December 7, making a stop in Egypt, where, as reported by The New York Times, the Russian passengers were separated from others, which included deported Iranians.
A flight tracking service recorded a plane consistent with the details of the reported deportation flight landing at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport at 2:39 a.m. local time.
This flight on December 9 marked the third charter operation transporting Russians deported from the U.S. during the Trump administration.
Earlier flights in June and August had already led to the deportation of over 80 Russians, as reported by media sources that conducted interviews with passengers.
In recent years, thousands of Russians have escaped persecution at home by seeking refuge in the U.S., where they can apply for asylum to remain legally.
However, many have become entangled in President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies.
Previous instances have shown draft evaders and activists facing imprisonment upon their return to Russia.
Artyom Vovchenko is one such case. After deserting his military unit—a crime punishable by up to a decade in prison—the 26-year-old went to the U.S. for asylum. He was deported in August, as reported by The New York Times.
The last sighting of Vovchenko was when he was led away by security personnel at a Russian airport.
