OUT OF THERE

Two Russians Fleeing Military Service Detained After Boating to Alaska

Villagers said the two men had told them they were fleeing the Russian military.

Two Russians, discovered near Gambell on St. Lawrence Island just 40 miles from the Russian coast on Tuesday, are now being held by federal authorities in Anchorage, according to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The Department of Homeland Security is working in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard to determine whether or not the foreign nationals will be allowed admission to the United States given the current heightened tension with Russia, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) said in a statement. “We don’t anticipate a continual stream of individuals or a flotilla of individuals. We have no indication that’s going to happen, so this may be a one-off,” said Dunleavy during a Wednesday press conference. The two men told villagers that they were escaping the Russian military, and had departed from Egvekinot, Russia, which is about 300 miles across the ocean.