As the Russian couple helped Ukraine war effort

It was soon after Moscow caught Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. years, Sergei and Tatiana Voronkov decided to leave Russia.

The couple, who has long been critical of Vladimir Putin, condemned Russia’s actions to friends and acquaintances. In response, they were told that if they did not like them, they could go.

So, a couple, and Russian citizens, decided to move to Ukraine, where Tatiana was born.

In 2019, they eventually settled in Novolijubimivci, a village of about 300 people in the Southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

The couple got four dogs and began to raise livestock, while Sergei, 55, also found a job as a geodetic surveyor – his specialism in his time in the Soviet army.

They were hoping for peaceful life. But when Moscow launched her full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. years, the peace of their new life was broken by the first Russian missiles that flew over their home.

“I heard something, something flying and I went outside,” Tatiana, 52, remembered.

“The rocket flew straight across the house.

“I went to the internet to see what happened and wrote that Kiev was already bombed.”

The couple quickly found the occupied territory and decided to become informants for Ukraine.

There was detention, examination, escape to Europe – and the letter of gratitude of the Ukrainian army.

It was when the Russian convoy first passed his home that Tatjana decided to act.

She bumped inside and sent familiarity in Kiev, whom she believed to have contacts in Ukraine security services.

The contact sent a link to Chatbot in a telegram to exchange messages that told her that a person with a unique identifier would contact.

The couple was asked to give the location and details on Russian electronic warning and military hardware systems, especially rocket systems and reservoirs.

Locations would help the Ukrainian army aims and destroy Russian troops in the field with drons and artillery.

“We did not mean that as a betrayal,” Tatiana says, who together with Sergej, insists that the information provided are not resulting in any strikes about civilians or civil infrastructure.

“Nobody attacked Russia. This was a fight against evil.”

Two years ago, Sergei would collect coordinates and Tatiana, would broadcast them from his phone – removing all traces of messages after that – as well as when they provided them with access to the Internet of their village.

But it was all until the end when Sergei was closed in April 2024. years of armed people while buying gardening seeds at the Tokmak Regional Center.

Sergei says he was taken to an abandoned house and put into a cold basement pit – about two meters and deeply three meters deep – where he slept in the squat.

The next day was questioned whether he adopted details of the Russian positions of Ukrainians. Sergei says the bag for his head kept the bag and threatened him violence.

After the negation of his involvement, Sergei admitted the fourth day of his captivity, fearing if he was subjected to violence, he could accidentally imply others.

Although all this happened, Tatjana desperately sought information about his accommodation.

She traveled the areas and phoned hospitals and stains, while Sina was steam who still lived near Moscow, he contacted various authorities there.

Ten days after the arrest of Sergei, the security forces searched the Voront’s house and dig up $ 4,400 that were hiding a couple in their garden.

Shortly afterwards, Tatiana was told that her husband “was sitting in the basement” and was with Russian security services, FSB.

Weeks later, after 37 days in captivity, Sergei was made to recognize help in Ukraine on the camera of people who met him as FSB.

But his surprise, he was fired two days later, although almost all his documents were seized, including his passport.

To date, Sergei and Tatiana don’t understand why it was released.

However, the BBC realizes that this is not uncommon in the parts of Ukraine who occupied Russia, where they do not have any transparency, and not often explains why a person is detained or released.

In the weeks after the liberation of Sergei, the couple believe they were kept under supervision, and cars constantly drove to the house and foreigners ask them if they sell them anything.

Believing that they would never stay alone, the couple started planning a way to leave.

After consultations with activists for human rights, Sergei and Tatiana decided to try to travel to Lithuania. But to do it, they were supposed to return to Russia to get Sergei new passport.

Their neighbors in Novoliubimiviki helped buy livestock and home appliances. The couple even managed to find a new home for his dogs, which Sergei says his biggest concern.

The couple walked into their car.

Fearing themselves that Russian forces can pull them out and force them, they made a story about going to the beach to get fresh air for Tatiana, who has asthma. They even brought a hat with a straw and a rubber ring to make the story more convincing.

But they were not stopped at the end.

The couple initially denied entry into Russia, but eventually they could enter after Sergei received a certificate that he proved to sign up for a new passport.

After disposal in obtaining passport and prevented Russia’s attempt through Belarus, Sergei bought a fake passport via the telegram.

The couple could then travel by bus to Belarus and crosses the border using Sergei’s counterfeit document. From there, they moved to Lithuania, a member of the European Union and the Middle Alliance of Ukraine, although Sergei was detained for retaining wrought documents.

It was later found guilty of using a false passport by the Lithuanian Court.

The couple now lives in the asylum shelter and hopes to settle in Lithuania.

The Ukrainian army sent them a letter of gratitude – at the request of his former handle in Kiev – to support his application for asylum. The BBC saw a copy of the letter.

The BBC also saw documents from official bodies in Russia and Ukraine who confirm what happened to Voronkovs. We do not reproduce them to protect the identity of those involved.

The shares of Voronkovs inflicted deep rifles in the family.

Their son, who stays in Russia, stopped talking with parents after learning what they did. Sergei’s mother, who is 87, still lives in Russia and supports war and president of Putin.

But despite that, the couple is an adamant that will never return to Russia.

“Only if someone humanity begins,” said Sergei.

“For now I see nothing human there.”