Russian man swerves Vladimir Putin's draft by living off-grid in a forest
A Russian man against Putin's war in Ukraine is living off grid in a freezing forest to avoid being sent to the front line.
IT specialist Adam Kalinin - not his real name - moved to the woods in September after Putin announced a partial mobilisation of Russian men.
He lives and works in a tent - sometimes enduring temperatures as low as minus 11 - uses solar power for energy and an antenna tied to a tree for internet access and receives supplies from his wife every three weeks.
Adam, who's in his 30s, has been against the war since it began and was put in detention for two weeks and hit with a fine after putting up a poster saying 'No to war' in his apartment block.
Adam Kalinin (not his real name) is living off-grid in a Russian forest to avoid conscription (YouTube/ @force_resistance)Although as an IT specialist he's currently exempt from conscription he fears this could change and didn't want to risk being called up.
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But unlike hundreds of thousands of others who have fled the country, he wants to remain in Russia due to financial constraints, his friends and the fear of leaving what he knows.
"Leaving would have been a difficult step out of my comfort zone," he said. "It isn't exactly comfortable here either but nevertheless, psychologically, it would be really hard to leave."
Despite the basic conditions he lives in Adam continues to work full-time (YouTube/ @force_resistance)He believes living off-grid is the best way of avoiding conscription while staying in the country as authorities aren't able to hand him a summons in person.
"If they are physically unable to take me by the hands and lead me to the enlistment office, that is a 99% defence against mobilisation or other harassment," he explained.
Incredibly, Adam still work full-time in his regular job and if he doesn't have enough solar power for a full eight hours because of limited daylight in winter he works extra hours on the weekend.
He was already a big fan of the outdoors, enjoying camping holidays in southern Russia with his wife before the war started.
As a result he already had a lot of the equipment needed to make the unusual decision to live long-term in the forest.
Temperatures in the forest have fallen to as low as -11 (YouTube/ @force_resistance)Adam's wife meets him in at a drop-off point every three weeks, where they get to spend a brief amount of time together.
He then puts the supplies in a safe place, which he goes to every few days to pick up what he needs.
Cooking is done using a makeshift wood-burning stove.
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"I have oats, buckwheat, tea, coffee, sugar. Not enough fresh fruit and vegetables of course, but it's not too bad," he said.
The large tent he lives in is the type used for ice-fishing. The winter temperatures have been tough he admits, but says the snow is now beginning to melt and the days are getting longer.
He says he's always been a fan of the outdoors and apart from his wife doesn't miss his old life that much (YouTube/ @force_resistance)He says that apart from his wife, he doesn't actually miss that much of his past life and adds that his current situation is certainly preferable to fighting on the frontline or being in prison
Things that had seemed important before have faded into the background, Adam explains.
He also calls himself an introvert and says he enjoys time by himself.
You can see regular updates, including photos and videos, of his current life via Telegram, where he has amassed around 17,000 followers.
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