US deportees to Russia face instant military registration

In the early hours of December 9, a plane carrying Russian citizens deported from the United States landed at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, Telegram channel Echo reports, citing Russian America for Democracy in Russia.

According to Dmitry Valuev, head of the organisation, the men on the flight were immediately handed summonses, likely for military registration.

The deportation flight departed from the US state of Arizona and made a stopover in Cairo. During the layover, the deportees received their personal belongings and phones before being escorted onto the flight to Moscow.

Mediazona reported that there were 64 passengers on board. Upon arrival, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office announced the detention of 69-year-old Zair Syamiullin, accused of fraud amounting to 123 million rubles, whose deportation had been requested by Russia. Syamiullin was likely among the passengers on the flight from Cairo.

This flight marks the third major deportation of Russian citizens from the United States in 2025.

Reports indicate that some of those deported may have previously sought asylum in the US or claimed they faced possible persecution in Russia.

By Tamilla Hasanova