Russia Asylum Alaska - The Russians landed on the beach in the village of Gambel, home to fewer than 500 permanent residents.
Two Russian nationals were detained by US authorities after they arrived on a small boat on the island of St. Lawrence in Alaska.
Russia Asylum Alaska
According to the two US senators representing the state, the men landed on the beach in the village of Gumbel and sought asylum in the country.
Visiting Alaska, Canada's Ambassador To The Us Talks Russia And Lessons Learned From The Pandemic
Gambel - home to less than 500 permanent residents - is located on the northwest side of St. Lawrence Island. The island is located about 36 miles (56 km) from Russia's Chukchi region, meaning it is closer to Russia than mainland Alaska. According to the local media, Gambel people can see the Russian land of Siberia on the other side of the sea.
A local city official told news outlet KTUU that the men fled from the northeastern Russian city of Egvekinot, a journey of about 300 miles (480 kilometers) by sea, and were deported. from the island.
DHS said the men came ashore "on a small boat on Tuesday" and were taken to Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, for "observation and observation."
In a press conference Wednesday, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy when they arrived "we were surprised."
Ukraine From Sept. 15 To Oct. 7: Russia Strikes Housing In Zaporizhzhia
"We don't expect a constant flow of people or a flotilla of people." We have no evidence that this is going to happen, so this is just a one-off," he said.
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said community leaders in Gembel contacted him about the men's arrival on Tuesday.
Sullivan said he is asking federal officials to "prepare a plan ... if more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska."
"This event clearly shows two things: first, the Russian people do not want to fight Putin's war against Ukraine. "Second, given the proximity of Alaska to Russia, our state plays a critical role in ensuring America's national security," he wrote Thursday in a statement.
Russian Men Sail To Alaska In Boat To Avoid Draft, Seek Asylum
His state counterpart, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said that what happened "shows the need for a strong security situation in North America."
Both are advocating for the expansion of the country's defense capabilities and systems to combat Russian threats in the region.
Citing a Kremlin source, a Forbes Russia report this week said 700,000 men have left the country since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial withdrawal of troops on the 21st. September.
But while most of the men went ashore to Kazakhstan, Georgia and Finland, as well as other European countries, arriving in Alaska was the first. Some Russians have turned up on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, told to leave the military service. (AP Photo)
Alaska Man Accidentally Sails To Russia
Two Russians who fled the country to avoid conscription sought refuge in the United States after landing on a small boat on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, said the office of US Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday.
Karina Borger, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Republican senator, said in an email that the office has spoken with the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and "Russian nationals have reported fleeing some of the communities." coast on the east coast of Russia to avoid forced military service."
Thousands of Russians have fled since President Vladimir Putin announced an effort to strengthen Russian forces in Ukraine. Although Putin said the move would call up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear the number could be much higher.
Spokesmen for the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection referred reporters' questions to the US Department of Defense, which provided limited information on Thursday. The agency, in a statement, said the individuals "were brought to Anchorage for screening, including a screening and vetting process, and then processed in accordance with applicable laws." to the US under the Immigration and Nationality Act."
Russian Men Claim Asylum After Sailing To Remote Alaskan Island To Escape Draft
The agency said the two Russians arrived on Tuesday in a small boat. He did not give details of where they came from, where they were traveling and what they were doing. It was not immediately clear what kind of boat they would be on.
Alaska's senators, Republicans Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, said on Friday that two Russians had landed on a beach near the town of Gumbel, an isolated Alaskan community of about 600 people on the island of St. Sullivan said he was alerted to the matter by a "senior community leader from the Bering Strait region" on Tuesday morning.
Gembel is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the community of Nome in western Alaska and about 36 miles (58 kilometers) from the Chukotka Peninsula, Siberia, according to the community page on the state website. The remote island 100-mile long, there is Savoonga, a community of about 800 people, has flight services from an airport. The local people rely heavily on this method of subsistence, harvesting sea fish, whales and other marine life.
A person who responded to an email addressed to Gembel questioned federal authorities. A letter seeking comment was sent to the Russian Consul General in San Francisco.
Alaska Asylum Seekers Are Indigenous Siberians From Russia
Sullivan said, in a statement, that he encouraged federal officials to have a plan if "more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska."
"This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people do not want to fight Putin's war against Ukraine," Sullivan said. "Secondly, given Alaska's proximity to Russia, our state plays an important role in ensuring the national security of the United States.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday, although the first details of the situation came out, he did not expect a continuous flow or a "flotilla" of people going the same way. He also said travel in the region could be dangerous when a typhoon with strong winds is expected.
In August, US authorities stopped Russians without legal status 42 times who tried to enter the US from Canada. It increased from 15 times in July to nine times in August 2021.
Two Russians Ask For Asylum After Landing At Gambell: Sullivan, Murkowski Issue Statement On Arctic Security
Russians often try to enter the United States through Mexico, which does not require visas. Russians usually fly from Moscow to Cancun or Mexico City, entering Mexico as tourists before getting a connecting flight to the US border. Earlier this year, US authorities opposed a group of Russians who intended to claim asylum if they reached a checkpoint in an official facility.
Some noted the spike before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, linked to the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last year. Two Russian nationals were seeking refuge in Alaska on Tuesday when they landed on a boat on the island of St.
The town of Gumbel is on the northwestern tip of the island more than 60 miles from mainland Russia across the Bering Strait. Local authorities have already contacted the Russian nationals and contacted the US Coast Guard for assistance.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called the federal response "lackluster" and said Customs and Border Protection will send Coast Guard responders from as far as 750 miles away.
Russians Land In Alaska To Seek Asylum: U.s. Authorities
"Only local authorities and state legislators can respond quickly to asylum seekers, while Customs and Border Protection sends a Coast Guard aircraft about 750 miles to going to an event," Murkowski said in a statement. "This situation highlights the need for a stronger security posture in the American Arctic."
Alaska's other senator, Dan Sullivan, also a Republican, said in a statement that he had spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the incident. Sullivan said CBP is still deciding whether the two Russians will be allowed to enter the United States.
Sullivan said he encouraged CBP to "have a plan in place with the Coast Guard in the event that the Russians make further inroads into the Bering Strait communities in Alaska," Sullivan said.
"This event clearly shows two things: first, the Russian people do not want to fight Putin's war against Ukraine," he said. "Second, given Alaska's proximity to Russia, our state has an important role in maintaining America. National Security."
How Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine Could Impact You
Julia Ainsley is the Homeland Security Editor for NBC News and covers the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Two Russian-born Siberians were so scared of fighting in Ukraine that it only took a boat trip across the treacherous Bering Sea to reach the U.S. mainland, the senior senator of Alaska after talking to them.
The two, identified as a couple by a resident, landed earlier this month near Gambell, on the island of St. Lawrence in Alaska in the Bering Strait, where they sought refuge.
"They fear for their lives because Russia is targeting minorities for recruitment in Ukraine," said Republican US Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Saturday during a candidate meeting at the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage.
"I know very well that these people are afraid, there is a lot of fear
Ukraine War News From March 3: Russian Forces Continue Missile Strikes, Us Unveils New Sanctions On Oligarchs
Alaska to russia flight, russia to alaska, alaska russia, russia from alaska, alaska russia border map, russia to alaska map, asylum in russia, alaska to russia ferry, asylum in alaska, alaska history russia, alaska and russia, alaska russia map
0 Comments