Russian soldier from brigade accused of Bucha killings seeks political asylum in Spain

This was reported by The Guardian.

In a telephone conversation with the newspaper's correspondent, he said that he had not been involved in the war crimes of which his unit was accused, saying that he had not fired a single shot during his stay in Ukraine.

According to Nikita Chibrin, 27, he spent more than four months in Ukraine as part of the 64th Independent Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, the unit accused of committing war crimes near Kiev in March this year. The unit was stationed in the village of Lipovka, 45km from Kiev, not far from Bucha and Andreevka, two settlements where mass atrocities were committed against civilians.

Chibrin is determined to testify in an international court about everything he has witnessed in Ukraine:

I have nothing to hide. This is a criminal war that Russia has unleashed. I want to do everything in my power to stop it.

Chibrin said he made the decision to flee Russia after he deserted his unit in June. He said he announced to his commanders that he was against the war on the first day of the invasion, February 24.

According to his account, after he spoke his position out loud, he was taken out of his unit, where he was serving as a mechanic, and sent to do physical labour:

'They threatened me with prison,' Chibrin said, 'Eventually my commanders decided to use me as a cleaner and a loader. They sent me to the rear.

Chibrin says he managed to escape on June 16 by hiding in a truck that went to Russia to replenish food supplies. Some time later, he made contact with human rights activists who helped him leave the country. Vladimir Osechkin, founder of the human rights organization Gulagu.net, confirmed to the Guardian that he did help Chibrin leave Russia.

"The Guardian notes that it has no independent confirmation of the story told by the serviceman. However, he provided documents and photos showing that he was part of the 64th motorized rifle brigade in Ukraine.