- Two high-level Russian officials – one an FSB intelligence officer, the other a high-ranking member of the Wagner group – have defected and are now seeking asylum in France, British newspaper The Express reported on Sunday, Oct. 16.
- Vladimir Osechkin, 41, operates gulagu.net, a website the exposes brutal crimes committed against inmates in Russia’s prisons and penal colonies.
- Placed on a wanted list by the Russian state, in September of this year, Osechkin reported that he had “narrowly avoided an assassination attempt” while living in exile in France.
Two Top Russian Officials Defect, Seek Asylum in France

