Russian military Nikita Chibrin, who served in the 64th motorized rifle brigade, asked for political asylum in Spain. His brigade is known for being accused of committing war crimes in Bucha. Chibrin told The Guardian about his intentions in an interview with the human rights project Gulagu.net.
According to him, he spent more than four months in Ukraine. Chibrin claims that he refused to participate in the war on February 24, about which he let his command know. After that, he was allegedly removed from his post as an army mechanic. “They threatened me with jail. In the end, my commanders decided to use me as a cleaner and loader. I was placed away from the battlefield, ”says the military in an interview with The Guardian.
Chibrin joined the army in the summer of 2021 – by his own admission, due to financial problems. According to the military man, his brigade was brought to Ukraine by deceit. According to Chibrin, he spent the first month of the war in the village of Lipovka, 50 km from Kyiv. During this period, his colleagues staged a genocide in Bucha and Andreevka.
On June 16, Chibrin will be able to leave Ukraine, hiding in a truck that was heading to Russia. After his escape, he contacted human rights activists from Gulagu.net to help him leave Russia. On September 15, he landed in Madrid, where he immediately asked for political asylum. According to Chibrin, while his application is under consideration, he will be placed in a temporary center for refugees.