Kyiv ¨C The Russian security agents were smirking. David was panicking. As the hourslong interrogation dragged on, he worried they would send him back to occupied Mariupol and into the ranks of Russia¡¯s army.
Having lived through three years of Russian rule in the occupied Ukrainian port city, he and his friend Nikolai ¡ª both teenagers ¡ª were fleeing after being sent call-ups for Russian military service.
At a checkpoint on the way out of the city, Russian agents accused them of smuggling drugs, implied they would plant evidence and threatened them with jail if they discovered the pair were trying to go to Kyiv.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.