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A Dane, recruited into the russian army, after being sent to the front, demanded through the court to invalidate his contract.
While the Danish man expresses that he supports Putin and has sympathy for the Russian army, he has no desire to be sent to war himself. His lawyer Roman Petrov told the story to TV2. The name of the 33-year-old Danish citizen is not disclosed. Which court is considering his claim is not specified.
According to the TV channel, in his homeland, the recruited soldier was a musician. He came to Russia in the summer of 2023 because of his sympathy for Vladimir Putin and “disagreement with Western values.” The Dane received a temporary residence permit until October 19, 2023.
Last fall, the Danish man applied for the extension of his residence permit, however, as he himself told the lawyer, this process was delayed. In the hope of obtaining Russian citizenship, the Dane signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense. He claims, that he was of the opinion that he would have the opportunity to choose between a number of different positions in the military. As the man explained to state media, he hoped to become a border guard in Siberia or translate from English.
In January 2024, the foreigner was notified of the extension of his residence permit at his request, but at that time he was already in the war in Ukraine. “I did not understand that the contract covered only the war zone,” the Dane said.
Now the man serves near Lugansk in a unit that launches drones. The foreigner complains that his colleagues force him to drink vodka and suspect him of spying for the United States or Denmark. In addition, according to the Dane, Nepalese citizens who find themselves in the same unit with him mock him.
His contract from October 2023 states that the contract period is valid for one year. Therefore, he was already counting down to his repatriation, when he was informed earlier this summer that new laws mean that the deployment is now indefinite.
In the spring, the man demanded through the court to invalidate his contract and get exemption from service, based on the fact the fact that the Dane does not know Russian. “A person who takes up arms and becomes a soldier of the Russian army must, of course, be able to fully understand the orders that are given to him,” his lawyer said.
The court of first instance rejected the Dane’s claim, now it is being considered by a higher court. According to the lawyer, the foreigner intends to bring the case to the European Court of Human Rights.