LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Seven months after fleeing from Russia to the United States, Anton Lukin and his wife were finally told Acadiana can become their home.

Anton Lukin and his wife fled from Russia after Lukin was drafted to fight in the war in Ukraine due his experience as a police officer.

“I’m still nervous,” Lukin said. “I can’t even understand what I’m feeling right now.”

Lukin spent weeks trying to find out how to avoid the fight he did not believe in, then help arrived when Port Barre police officer Brad Tate allowed the Lukins to stay at his home if the couple could get to America.

When Russian police started looking for Lukin, he knew there was no chance he could go back.

Tala Vosoughi, Lukins’ attorney, said, “We just had to prove to the court that if he goes back to Russia today, he will be put in prison and either sent to the front lines where there’s a high possibility that he would die in battle or that he would be imprisoned for his political views and his anti-war stance.”

Today the Lukins found out their asylum case is approved, a day that was months in the making.

“It was just long waiting,” Lukin said. “It’s like people in Russia say, the death is much better than the time of death. So, it’s saying the waiting is always hard.”

Brad Tate, Lukin’ friend, said, “It was rough. It was very rough. Just the unknown and having that thought in the back of your head if they don’t get approved. What’s going to happen if they get expelled from this country?”

But that won’t be happening. They can now begin the road to citizenship.

“It’s a great relief,” Tate said. “I’m glad they were approved and now we can just move on to the next step.”

“I didn’t know what to feel like, I was too nervous. But I was just happy. It was just those too feelings coming together.”

Moving forward, Lukin hopes to work towards his new goal of joining his friend at the Port Barre Police Department.