Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists

The Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists (Russian: Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов, romanized: Boyevaya organizatsiya anarkho-kommunistov; BOAK) is a militant anarcho-communist organization in Eastern Europe, part of the Belarusian and Russian partisan movement.[1][2] It aims for social revolution and a libertarian socialist society. Since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has sabotaged railway infrastructure in Russia and Belarus, as well as attacking Russian military commissariats and telecommunications. According to The Insider, the group has become "the most active 'subversive' force" in Russia since the war began.[3]

Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists
Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов
Also known asBOAK
LeaderDecentralized leadership
Foundation2018 (2018)
Dates of operationfrom 18 April 2022 (2022-04-18)
Country Russia
 Belarus
AllegianceRussian opposition
Belarusian opposition
IdeologyAnarcho-communism
Insurrectionary anarchism
Anti-Putinism
Anti-authoritarianism
Political positionFar-left
Major actions2022 rail war in Belarus
2022 Russian military commissariats attacks
StatusActive
Allies Revolutionary Action
Resistance Committee
OpponentsRussia Government of Russia
Belarus Government of Belarus
Battles and wars2022 Belarusian and Russian partisan movement
Motto«Freedom or death! Long live the revolution!»
(Russian: «Свобода или смерть! Да здравствует революция!»)
Websiteboakmirror.noblogs.org

History

The group's blog has been active since at least September 2020.[4] In their interviews, members of the group said that the organization has existed for years before it decided to engage in partisan activity after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2] The BOAK-affiliated 'Anarchist Fighter' website and Telegram channel have existed since 2018.[5]

Opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, BOAK claimed responsibility for actions designed to disrupt the logistics of the Russian Army in the Russian Federation and Belarus, organizing sabotage, arson of military registration and enlistment offices and rail wars in Belarus and Russia.[6][7][8] A spokesperson for BOAK stated, "The war in Ukraine, unleashed by the Russian state, is a terrible tragedy, but the war created opportunities for the revolutionary minority, through partisan actions, to deepen the crisis of the system."[8]

The name BOAK first time appeared in public on 18 April 2022 when the group claimed responsibility for sabotage of cell phone tower near village Belomestnoye in Belgorod Oblast, border region with Ukraine. The aim of an attack was declared to damage military communication network.[9]

On 23 May 2022 BOAK claimed sabotage action against military railway tracks leading to the 12th Chief Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense near Sergiyev Posad in Moscow Oblast. According to the BOAK website, some rails were deconstructed.[10]

On 28 June 2022 the cell "BOAK-Vladimir" published a press release claiming sabotage action on railway of military unit 55443 VD Barsovo (51st Arsenal of the Main rocket-artillery department of Russian Defense ministry) near Kirzhach in Vladimir Oblast. The rails were damaged. BOAK's press release stated, "Every stopped train helps to get rid of missiles and rockets, which could hit peaceful Ukrainian cities!"[11]

On 9 October 2022, BOAK posted photos of sabotaged railway tracks in Barnaul, claiming that the sabotage had successfully derailed a freight train.[12]

In an interview with British journalist Jake Hanrahan, members of BOAK claimed that they found their targets using intelligence from Wikimapia, an open source mapping project that details the location of Russian military infrastructure. One of the interviewees said that they were willing to die fighting the Russian state, rather than be subjected to torture in a Russian prison.[13]

In January 2023, BOAK claimed responsibility for an explosion that damaged a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Krasnoyarsk.[14]

On 19 April 2023, Dmitry Petrov, one of the organisation's founders, was killed in the battle of Bakhmut while fighting for the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces.[15][16]

See also

References
  1. "Рельсовая война в рф. Кто такие анархо-коммунисты, и как они воюют против путинизма (ВИДЕО) | Inshe.tv". inshe.tv (in Ukrainian). 6 July 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. "Ongoing Sabotage and Resistance to War in Russia and Ukraine: Interview with BOAK/Anarchist Communist Combat Organization | libcom.org". libcom.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. Zemlyanskaya, Alisa (5 July 2022). "Этот поезд в огне: как российские партизаны поджигают военкоматы и пускают поезда под откос". The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. "Боевая Организация Анархо-Коммунистов | Page 4". Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. "Боец Анархист". Telegram.
  6. ""Инструкции из даркнета". Как анархо-коммунисты совершают диверсии в РФ и что это за люди". nv.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  7. ""Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов" объявила в России рельсовая войну – СМИ". Telegraf.news (in Russian). 5 July 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  8. McDonald, Karl (5 August 2022). "How Russia's anarchist saboteurs are destroying Putin's war machine from within". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. "Arson attack on a cell tower in Belomestnoye (Belgorod Oblast) | Anarcho-Communists Combat Organization".
  10. "Sabotage of railway tracks leading to the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of RF | Anarcho-Communists Combat Organization".
  11. "Sabotage action on the railway of military unit 55443 VD Barsovo (51th Arsenal of the Main rocket-artillery department of Russian Defense ministry) | Anarcho-Communists Combat Organization".
  12. "Mobilizing against mobilization – the first crack in the Kremlin regime? Part 15". LibCom. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  13. Chapple, Amos (3 January 2023). "'It's Not His Country, It's Ours': The Russian 'Partisans' At War with the Kremlin". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  14. Vorobyov, Niko (25 January 2023). "Russian saboteurs seek to hamper Putin's war machine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  15. "Под Бахмутом погиб российский анархист и основатель Боевой организации анархо-коммунистов Дмитрий Петров. Он воевал на стороне Украины" [Dmitry Petrov, a Russian anarchist and founder of the Militant Anarcho-Communist Organisation, was killed near Bakhmut. He fought on the side of Ukraine]. Novaya Gazeta. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  16. Monks, Kieron (28 April 2023). "Russian anarchist leader codenamed 'Lion' killed fighting for Ukraine". i. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
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