Glukhov number two

Dmitry Artemyev, who was in military service in South Ossetia, left his unit and asked for political asylum in Georgia. This is confirmed by both Georgian and Russian sources. The headquarters of the North Caucasus Military District (NCMD) says that Artemyev will return soon. The Ministry of Defense reports that they are negotiating the return of the serviceman. A criminal case has been opened. For his part, Shota Utiashvili, director of the information and analysis department of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, told Echo of Moscow that Georgia is not conducting any negotiations with Russia about Artemyev and is not going to forcefully return him to his homeland.

According to Georgian media, Artemyev, who was drafted in November last year, escaped because he was beaten by sergeants. For some time he was fed by an old man. A source in the North Caucasian Military District confirmed to RIA Novosti that the reason for Artemyev’s desertion was hazing in the unit. A source in the North Caucasian Military District told Interfax that Artemyev left the unit with a machine gun, but arrived in Tbilisi without a machine gun.