# Russian man swims from Kaliningrad to Lithuania seeking asylum, gets sent back to Russia

https://mins.news/en/item/64073

- Meduza, 2026-09-18 10:32 UTC
- World
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/18/russian-man-swims-from-kaliningrad-to-lithuania-seeking-asylum-gets-sent-back-to-russia

> Lithuanian border authorities detained a Russian citizen who crossed the Neman River by swimming to seek political asylum and returned him to Russia the same day. He said he was persecuted in Russia over “activity on social media,” but officials said there was no indication he faced danger or qualified for admission.

## Related coverage

- [Russian man swims from Kaliningrad to Lithuania in failed asylum attempt](https://mins.news/en/item/64431) — euronews, 2026-09-18