A charter plane carrying Russian citizens deported from the United States landed in Moscow early Tuesday, intensifying fears that several passengers may face unjust detention or forced military recruitment. Human rights advocates report that many on board held openly anti-government views, making them vulnerable to retaliation by Russian authorities.
Dmitry Valuev, president of the diaspora group Russian America for Democracy in Russia, said the U.S. deported individuals who had sought refuge due to political oppression. He stressed that several passengers lost their asylum bids despite credible threats to their safety. “These people hold opposition, pro-democratic views, and their deportation is a tragedy,” he said.
Military Summons and Targeted Screening at Arrival
Upon landing at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, Russian security officials immediately issued military summons to male passengers, Valuev told the exiled media outlet Agenstvo. Mediazona, another exiled Russian publication, reported that 64 people were on the flight, citing a relative of one deportee.
Flight records show the charter plane left Arizona on Dec. 7 and made a stop in Egypt, where Russian passengers were separated from other deportees, including Iranians. The aircraft arrived in Moscow at 2:39 a.m. on Dec. 9.
Pattern of Deportations Under Trump Administration
This flight marks the third charter deportation of Russians under President Donald Trump. Earlier flights in June and August removed more than 80 Russian nationals, many of whom fled to the U.S. to escape persecution, mobilization orders, or criminal charges linked to political dissent.
Case Study: A Deportee Vanishes Upon Return
Among previous deportees was 26-year-old Artyom Vovchenko, who fled Russia after abandoning his military post—a crime punishable by up to a decade in prison. After the U.S. deported him in August, witnesses last saw him being taken away by Russian security officers at the airport.
