TBILISI, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian soldier who deserted his unit in South Ossetia in late January and requested asylum in Georgia has been granted refugee status, the Georgian Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

At the end of April, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office filed an extradition request for Jr. Sgt. Alexander Glukhov. However, Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Shota Utiashvili said Tbilisi would not hand him over to Russia until his asylum request had been considered.

"Glukhov received the status of a refugee in Georgia a few days ago. Moreover, he has already started working," the ministry said.

Glukhov's relatives said a month ago he had received refugee status, but there had until now been no official confirmation.

The Russian Defense Ministry initially said Glukhov had been seized by Georgian special services and forcibly taken to Tbilisi. However, Glukhov denied the claims, saying he fled due to the intolerable conditions in his unit.