Kyiv: Irina Krynina departed from Russia in September 2023, leaving behind her apartment in Krasnoyarsk, her car, and her job as an accountant. She packed her bags, took her two daughters, aged seven and ten, and set off for Ukraine to visit her partner Yevgeny Kovtkov. Kovtkov, who is not the biological father of her children, had been fighting for Russia against the Ukrainian army when he was captured.
According to Deutsche Welle, Krynina's journey to Ukraine was facilitated by a helpline operated by Ukraine's defense intelligence service, the HUR. The service, called "I Want to Live" (Khochu zhit), was initially established for Russian soldiers choosing to surrender. Krynina utilized this service to locate her partner and traveled to Ukraine to find him. She became the first person to undertake such an effort during this conflict.
In Ukraine, Krynina founded the project "Our Way Out," which aids relatives of Russian prisoners of war in contacting them. The initiative was joined by Viktoria Ivleva, a well-known Russian journalist who has been advocating for Ukraine since 2014 and relocated to Kyiv in March 2022. Krynina's work involves visiting prisoners in camps, recording conversations, delivering parcels, and enabling phone calls. This initiative also helps verify the status of prisoners, as many are often misclassified as missing, dead, or deserters.
Krynina's project has gained significant attention, with its YouTube channel amassing over 100,000 subscribers. The channel features interviews with prisoners discussing their past lives, reasons for joining the Russian army, and experiences of being captured. It also includes conversations with relatives of Russians who were sent back to fight in Ukraine after prisoner exchanges.
Despite the challenges, Krynina remains committed to helping Russian prisoners of war return home, emphasizing that each returned Russian means a returned Ukrainian. Her efforts have also been recognized for aiding Ukraine in the information war against Russia, as she records videos at sites of Russian attacks to show the reality of the situation.
Krynina's presence in Ukraine has elicited mixed reactions from both Russians and Ukrainians. While some Russians condemn her move, Ukrainians have varied responses. A viral Facebook post in spring 2025 highlighted the controversy when a Kyiv fitness club customer encountered Krynina. Despite the mixed sentiments, Krynina continues to live in Kyiv, where she rents an apartment, her daughters attend school, and she works part-time as an accountant.
Krynina hopes to return to a "free Russia" one day, but acknowledges the lasting impact of the war on relations between Russians and Ukrainians. She believes that it will take generations to heal and even consider peace between the two nations.