Despite his past in the Russian army, he entered the European Union without obstacles. Ihor, a former soldier of formations fighting on the Kremlin’s side, reached Estonia via Russia, Belarus, and… Poland. He was ultimately detained and deported by Estonian services, but his case shows that the border is effectively full of gaps.
Ihor’s case was disclosed in a report by Kaitsepolitseiamet (KAPO), Estonia’s Internal Security Service. The authorities have not revealed the man’s full identity.
In September 2025, the soldier left his home in Donetsk. Along the way, he stopped in Moscow, then traveled to Belarus, from where he entered Poland. He then continued by bus to Estonia, where he applied for temporary protection.
Ihor spent his entire life in territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia. He graduated from Donetsk Technical University, which—according to the report—also trains reservists for the Russian air forces.
Four days before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he was mobilized into the armed forces of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, which are part of the Russian military. He was assigned to unit S/O 08826 and underwent sniper training.
The unit he served in took part in battles for Avdiivka, Marinka, and Krasnohorivka. Ihor was discharged from service for health reasons.
In Estonia, following a request from KAPO, he was denied protection status and expelled from the country. Since criminal proceedings had been initiated against him in Ukraine on charges of treason, he was handed over to the Ukrainian authorities.
This is not an isolated case.
In November 2025, Niezalezna.pl revealed the identity of a Russian GRU agent, Yevheniy Ivanov, who blew up a section of railway tracks in the Garwolin district. He had previously been convicted for acts of sabotage in Ukraine. Despite this, he entered Poland without any problems—using his own passport.
Not an isolated incident
“Prevention is always easier and less costly than dealing with consequences,” the Estonian report states. It notes that a common feature among many individuals carrying out sabotage attacks in Europe is their access to EU territory. Some reside there permanently, while others entered on visas.
Estonia has already revoked residence permits for several individuals on security grounds and deported them to Russia. The report highlights particular concern over individuals who fought on Russia’s side in the war against Ukraine. They may become a recruitment base for future operations targeting Europe.
It is estimated that nearly 200,000 convicts have been sent from Russian prisons to the front. A significant portion of them have taken part in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
For this reason, Estonia has launched measures aimed at reducing the risk, KAPO writes in its report. These include placing Russian fighters on entry-ban lists for the Schengen Area. Authorities in Tallinn want other European Union countries to join the initiative.