The fate of Anton Milayev, the adoptive great-grandson of Leonid Brezhnev, has become one of the most resonant events against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict. The man, whose biography is intertwined with the names of the Soviet elite and the circus stage, ended up in the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region. In an interview with the «I Want to Live» project, he told how nostalgia and debts led him to the trenches, and why he is now afraid to return to his homeland.
From New York to the trenches: the path into the abyss
Before becoming a participant in hostilities, Milayev lived in the USA for almost two decades. New York became his home, where he worked as a laborer. Despite the long period of residence, he never obtained a green card. Eventually, the man decided to return to Russia, explaining this by fatigue from «working for the Freemasons» and longing for his homeland.
However, the return did not bring the expected peace. Life in the RF turned out unsuccessfully: Milayev accumulated debts amounting to one million rubles. It was financial problems that became the main motive for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2025. For his service, he was paid a one-time allowance of 1.4 million rubles.
In addition to money, propaganda also influenced the decision. «We wanted to see Nazis», — admitted Milayev. However, reality turned out to be different: «No, we didn't see them. But we only found out about this when we were already here. I think that changing one's opinion about this war».
Hopeless raid and the price of error
Like many contractors, Anton expected a quiet service in the rear, hoping to become a driver. But after three weeks of training on the occupied territory of the Luhansk region, he was sent to the assault battalion of the 98th division. The group was transferred to the Kherson region with the task of crossing the Dnipro.
Milayev describes this raid as hopeless. «Survival is practically impossible. The bodies of the dead are not evacuated, and they are eaten by wild animals», — says the prisoner. Out of a group of eight people, only four managed to survive. Milayev himself walked to the river and surrendered to a Ukrainian drone, after which he was detained by fighters of the 34th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
«Luxurious» conditions and fear of return
Currently, Anton Milayev is in Ukrainian captivity. He calls the conditions of detention «luxurious» and in accordance with international law. He was even allowed to call his ex-wife, to whom he confessed that he had been hiding his origin, fearing the publicity of family ties with Brezhnev.
The key moment of his story is the categorical refusal to return to Russia in exchange. Milayev is afraid that he will be sent to the front again or shot for surrendering to captivity. The sounds of air raid sirens in the Ukrainian rear he calls a «lullaby» compared to the front-line cannonade. «I hope that I will be able to sit here until the war ends», — he concluded.
The shadow of the Soviet leader
Anton Milayev is the son of Evgeny Milayev, the first husband of Galina Brezhneva. His father was a famous circus acrobat and director of the capital circus. Galina Brezhneva adopted Evgeny's children from his first marriage after the death of their biological mother. Anton himself began his career in the circus, working in his father's and grandfather's acts, but this did not bring him wealth, which eventually led the relative of the Soviet leader to the trenches of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
