The Associated Press spoke with five officers and one soldier who deserted the Russian military. All have criminal cases against them in Russia, where they face 10 years or more in prison. Each is waiting for a welcome from the West that has never arrived. Instead, all but one live in hiding.
Countries aren’t too fond of assassinations on their own turf. Russia seems to do these things more than any other country (at least as reported in the news), but it’s still pretty rare.