Sergei and Tatyana Voronkov, a Russian couple critical of the Kremlin, fled Russia in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea and resettled in Ukraine. After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, they began secretly supplying Ukrainian forces with information on Russian military positions from their village in occupied Zaporizhzhia.
For two years, Sergei collected coordinates while Tatyana relayed them through a secure Telegram chatbot. Their efforts ended when Sergei was arrested in April 2024 and held in harsh conditions. After 37 days of interrogation and a forced video confession, he was unexpectedly released without explanation but left under surveillance.
Fearing further danger, the couple plotted an escape. They sold their belongings, left their dogs behind, and disguised their journey to avoid suspicion. Though initially blocked at the Russian border, they eventually entered, obtained a fake passport, and escaped to Lithuania via Belarus. Sergei was arrested for using false documents but released as they applied for asylum.
Now living in a Lithuanian asylum shelter, they’ve received a letter of thanks from the Ukrainian military in support of their case. Their actions severed ties with family in Russia, but the couple say they’ll never return until the country “shows humanity.”
