Russian man who fled Putin’s draft stuck at South Korean airport for over 2 months

Vladimir Maraktayev has been stuck at an airport departure lounge in Incheon, South Korea for more than two months after he fled Russia to avoid the nation’s military draft to bolster troop numbers for the war in Ukraine. The 23-year-old student and four other Russian men, who were still living in the departure lounge of the terminal as of January 19, 2023, said they are awaiting a final decision from local authorities about their requests for asylum. Despite the difficulties of his current living situation, Maraktayev says he prefers staying in the airport to returning to Russia, where he believes he would be detained and sent to the front lines.