 Another Russian pilot who protested the occupation of Ukraine took refuge in U.S. A Russian combat pilot defected to U.S. authorities because he opposed his country's invasion of Ukraine. According to the Kiev Post media outlet, the officer in Russia's internal security troops, Rosgvadia turned himself over to State Department officials at the U.S. Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. The original source of news of the defection appears to have been a telegram channel called DOS-Chapiona and possibly linked with the Ukrainian intelligence services. The information platform usually features information on reports of clandestine activities in the Russo-Ukraine war. According to that report, a Russian flight officer identified as senior lieutenant Gavrychenko was allowed by his chain of command to go on leave in the United Arab Emirates with his family in late September, giving him the opportunity to quit his military service and defect. Gavrychenko made the decision to burn bridges with the Kremlin authorities because he and his family disagreed with Moscow's decision to start a major war by invading Ukraine and because of an upcoming assignment to combat duty. He offered his readiness to cooperate with U.S. authorities, the report said. According to the report, another pilot identified as Anton Vasilev, a classmate with Gavrychenko, during training at Ivanovo airbase in central Russia moved to Los Angeles, California before the war started and was in contact with Gavrychenko and instrumental to his defection. News of yet another embarrassing for the Kremlin defection of a trained pilot to Russia's greatest geopolitical opponent, the U.S., followed an unsanctioned flight by Russian helicopter pilot Captain Maxim Guzminov, who on August the 23rd flew a Russian Air Force Mi-8AMT-SH helicopter to Ukrainian lines and handed it and himself over to Kiev authorities. According to Russian state-controlled media, a member of the Russian military going over to Russia's opponents is guilty of treason and could face up to a life sentence in prison.