# ‘I hope this project has no future’: Grigory Sverdlin on helping Russian soldiers desert

https://mins.news/en/item/120940

- Meduza, 2026-10-29 14:32 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/29/i-hope-this-project-has-no-future-grigory-sverdlin-on-helping-russian-soldiers-desert-and-building-an-organization-he-hopes-will-one-day-be-unnecessary

> After going into exile, Grigory Sverdlin launched Idite Lesom to help Russians desert the army and leave the country. He says the project received about 150 to 200 requests a day this summer and helped nearly 150 people desert in August, as fears of a possible fall mobilization drove more people to seek help.