Are Russian deserters being sent back to die at the front?

Most asylum applications by Russian military deserters are being denied by German authorities, according to a Deutsche Welle report on Sunday. Figures from Germany’s parliament reveal that 126 people were deported back to Russia in 2025. After detailing a particular case, the article stated: “Many similar applications have been rejected based on the rationale that deserters do not face a ‘real risk’ of severe persecution or deployment to Ukraine upon return.” This ignores “hundreds of reports of Russian deserters being sent directly to the front lines and mistreated,” the article says. Once again, Germany is playing into Russia’s hands.