The Russian couple Alisa and Sergei Sadovnikov fled by kayak across the Black Sea to escape the war in Ukraine. The two met while fighting in the conflict in 2023, in the former Soviet republic. Sergei, who was a doctor before becoming a combatant, even participated in the Wagner Group, a mercenary militia loyal to Vladimir Putin that attempted a coup.
When Sergei was sent to the front line, he realized they were both just "disposable bodies" serving Moscow. The Russian was shocked to witness the "meat grinder" tactic, in which Moscow sent waves of men to their deaths to wear down Ukrainian defenses.
Sergei was also wounded in combat and reports having seen two entire companies being decimated about 100 meters away. "Everything became clear to me. They started taking auxiliary personnel from my group and sending them on assault missions," he recalled. The account was given by Alisa to Radio Free Europe (RFE).
