Anti-War Russian Politician Escapes to France

Boris Nadezhdin, 63, opposed Putin's war and ran for president before being blocked. He has fled to Paris. In an August 3 video by the Eiffel Tower, he said: "Good news: I'm alive and free. Unfortunately, I'm not in Russia for the time being." Russia had labeled him a foreign agent — a tag used to limit critics — and convicted him on extremism charges, ending his 2026 run for parliament.