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7/12/2025, 10:57:24 PM
Ex-Wagner Fighter With Criminal Past Seeks Asylum in Finland
A former Russian mercenary with a history in the Wagner Group and an extensive criminal record has been detained in Finland after illegally crossing the border and is now seeking asylum, Finnish authorities and media have reported.
The Finnish Border Guard confirmed it detained a man on June 17 near the town of Kitee after he crossed from Russia through a forested area.He was placed in a temporary detention center after requesting international protection.
While authorities have not officially named the man, multiple reports identify him as Zhaslan Mustakhanov, a Russian citizen from Omsk born in 1992. He is also known by the alias "Yevgeny Shpartun."
Mustakhanov has a documented history as a contract soldier, having served with both the Wagner Group and the regular Russian army. He gave interviews to pro-Kremlin media outlets about fighting in major battles in Ukraine, including Bakhmut and, more recently, Selydove in late 2024.
In early 2025, however, Mustakhanov's public stance shifted dramatically. In February, he released a video sharply criticizing Russia's military leadership. He followed this on June 30 with another video, posted to the social network VKontakte, accusing commanders of "betrayal" and of leaving soldiers "to rot in the fields." According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, which first broke the story, he was already in Finland when the second video was published.
Russian investigative outlet "Mediazona" reported that Mustakhanov had at least six prior convictions for theft and robbery before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was reportedly sentenced again in 2023 for robbing a jewelry store, and it is unclear how he was subsequently released to fight in Ukraine. The Finnish Border Guard's preliminary investigation into the illegal border crossing is expected to conclude by the early autumn.
A former Russian mercenary with a history in the Wagner Group and an extensive criminal record has been detained in Finland after illegally crossing the border and is now seeking asylum, Finnish authorities and media have reported.
The Finnish Border Guard confirmed it detained a man on June 17 near the town of Kitee after he crossed from Russia through a forested area.He was placed in a temporary detention center after requesting international protection.
While authorities have not officially named the man, multiple reports identify him as Zhaslan Mustakhanov, a Russian citizen from Omsk born in 1992. He is also known by the alias "Yevgeny Shpartun."
Mustakhanov has a documented history as a contract soldier, having served with both the Wagner Group and the regular Russian army. He gave interviews to pro-Kremlin media outlets about fighting in major battles in Ukraine, including Bakhmut and, more recently, Selydove in late 2024.
In early 2025, however, Mustakhanov's public stance shifted dramatically. In February, he released a video sharply criticizing Russia's military leadership. He followed this on June 30 with another video, posted to the social network VKontakte, accusing commanders of "betrayal" and of leaving soldiers "to rot in the fields." According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, which first broke the story, he was already in Finland when the second video was published.
Russian investigative outlet "Mediazona" reported that Mustakhanov had at least six prior convictions for theft and robbery before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was reportedly sentenced again in 2023 for robbing a jewelry store, and it is unclear how he was subsequently released to fight in Ukraine. The Finnish Border Guard's preliminary investigation into the illegal border crossing is expected to conclude by the early autumn.
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