Two Russians fleeing conscription for service in the Ukraine war have landed a small boat on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea and requested asylum.  

A spokesperson for Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski told the Associated Press that "the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service."

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the two "were transported to Anchorage for inspection, which includes a screening and vetting process, and then subsequently processed in accordance with applicable U.S. immigration laws under the Immigration and Nationality Act."

On Monday, the hardy, draft-dodging duo landed on a St. Lawrence Island beach, near the small community of Gambell -- population 681. Gambell is just 36 miles from Siberia's Chukotka Peninsula, placing it far closer to Russia than mainland Alaska.