The Ark, the organisation she runs, housed 4,000+ Russians fleeing mobilisation and helped 160,000 navigate emigration. Russia wanted her on Interpol’s list. Interpol said no.

Here is her story

Burakova was convicted for a speech at an anti-war rally in Tbilisi where she said Russian forces were “destroying Ukrainian cities, torturing people in occupied territories, killing civilians.”

She launched the Ark Project within two weeks of the invasion. While many stood baffled, debating what to do, she built infrastructure for the massive exodus that was coming. And it’s not my judgment—here are the numbers:

• Housed over 4,000 people in emergency shelters
• Processed 120,000+ legal help requests
• Provided psychological support to 5,000 emigrants
• Built networks reaching 500,000 people

During Putin’s mobilisation in September 2022, Ark’s capacity surged from 28 to 220 beds. They opened emergency shelters in Kazakhstan as hundreds of thousands fled conscription to the neighboring visa-free country.

These were teachers, doctors, IT workers, students—ordinary Russians who refused to kill or be killed in Putin’s war. Ark operates in Istanbul, Yerevan, Warsaw. They coordinate 3,200 volunteers who teach 20 languages, provide job training, offer counseling.

Anastasia’s team has built entire communities for people who lost everything. These are the same citizens who would face 15 years in prison for calling the war a war inside Russia. Not surprising that those who helped them are now facing retribution.

Burakova had been working as a jurist defending political activists inside Russia for years before the full-scale invasion. But when the invasion began, even she said: “Nobody thought Putin was so insane.” Based on experience, she immediately understood what was coming: the wave of repression. The mobilisation. The exodus.

Today Ark’s online networks connect 170,000 active participants across 49 countries. It is not just humanitarian aid anymore. It’s an entire anti-war diaspora network.

Russia tried to use Interpol to hunt Burakova globally. Interpol’s refusal means it recognises this as political persecution. By prosecuting Burakova, Putin’s criminal system confirmed everything she said. They validate her descriptions of torture and killings. Why else would stating facts warrant 7.5 years?

Russia has now criminalised both opposing the war inside the country and helping people leave because of it. In the meantime, Ark continues its operations, though at a smaller scale because there aren’t that many people currently leaving.

You can support their work here: https://kovcheg.live/en/ark/