A former Wagner mercenary who illegally crossed the border and requested asylum has been detained in Finland.
According to Yle, the man is a Russian soldier named Yevgeny.
The Finnish Border Guard previously reported that a man crossed the border near the town of Kitee in North Karelia on June 17.
He crossed the Finnish border in the Välivaara area, which is characterized by wooded terrain and the absence of a border fence.
Border guards detected the man thanks to sensors and detained him immediately after he crossed the border.
Yevgeny has applied to the Finnish authorities for international protection and is currently in a temporary detention center.
The Russian mercenary posted photos and videos on social media confirming his participation in the war against Ukraine.
Some of these materials show the Wagner insignia on his uniform.
In an interview with Russian propaganda channels, he talked about the fighting in Ukraine and claimed that he voluntarily joined the Russian Armed Forces in 2022, underwent training with Wagner, and took part in operations in Bakhmut.
In one interview, the mercenary recounted how his unit destroyed a vehicle carrying Ukrainian soldiers in Selydovo. He also claimed to have participated in fighting in various regions of Ukraine.
He disappeared from public view in the fall of 2024, but in February 2025, he posted a video sharply criticizing the Russian command. On June 30, the mercenary again posted a video on social media criticizing the Russian military leadership. According to Yle, he was already in Finland when the video was published.
Finnish police confirmed to Yle that they are conducting a preliminary investigation into the identity of a person who arrived from Russia and is believed to have served in Wagner. As part of the investigation, the police are assessing whether there are grounds for launching a criminal investigation. At this stage, the Finnish authorities do not suspect Yevgeny of committing war crimes.
