Daniil Mukhametov, 21, reportedly had his Finnish asylum claim refused after leaping from a sealed Adler–Kaliningrad train in June to avoid a military summons in Moscow. He has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights; if unsuccessful, he could be returned to Lithuania and potentially deported to Russia. Finnish authorities say the threat of conscription alone does not automatically qualify someone for asylum under UN guidance.
Leapt from Sealed Train to Avoid Draft — Now Faces Possible Deportation to Russia
Daniil Mukhametov, 21, reportedly had his Finnish asylum claim refused after leaping from a sealed Adler–Kaliningrad train in June to avoid a military summons in Moscow. He has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights; if unsuccessful, he could be returned to Lithuania and potentially deported to Russia. Finnish authorities say the threat of conscription alone does not automatically qualify someone for asylum under UN guidance.
12:24, 02.11.2025Society
Russian who jumped from sealed Adler–Kaliningrad train may be deported after Finnish asylum refusal
A 21‑year‑old Russian, Daniil Mukhametov, who jumped from a sealed train while it crossed European Union territory has reportedly been denied asylum in Finland and has lodged an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.
According to independent Russian outlets, Mukhametov fled Russia in June after receiving a summons from a military enlistment office in Moscow. He says the summons effectively prevented him from leaving the country and that he refused to take up arms following the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.
The incident occurred in mid‑June on the sealed Adler–Kaliningrad train, which travels through roughly 140 miles of EU territory. Lithuanian police said a passenger opened a door and jumped off the train near the town of Kybartai, close to the Russian border. Authorities searched the area with a helicopter and police dogs and later identified the jumper as Mukhametov, a resident of Bashkortostan.
After jumping from the moving train, Mukhametov crossed into Finland, telling reporters he feared Lithuanian authorities would refuse him protection and believed he had no other option. His actions prompted Lithuania to tighten controls and add surveillance on the Adler–Kaliningrad transit route to prevent similar incidents.
Mukhametov: 'For me, the right choice was to refuse military service, to refuse to take up arms. When the full‑scale invasion began, it hurt that I could not stop it or influence it in any way.'
Finnish authorities have reportedly refused his asylum claim. Russian media also reported that Finland denied asylum to 104 Russian citizens between January and September 2025. Independent outlet Meduza says the Finnish Immigration Service has at times relied on information from Russian officials — namely that mobilisation is no longer under way — when rejecting asylum claims based on avoiding conscription.
A Finnish Immigration Service spokesman said in September that Finland follows UN guidance, under which the mere risk of military service or conscription alone does not automatically qualify an applicant for international protection. If Mukhametov's appeal to the European Court of Human Rights fails, he could be returned to Lithuania — the first EU country he entered — and potentially deported to Russia.
Context: The case highlights legal and humanitarian tensions over conscription, the protection of conscientious objectors and how EU states process transit passengers from Russia. It also underscores the risks faced by those attempting to avoid conscription amid the conflict in Ukraine.