Russian Volunteer Corps

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC; Russian: Русский добровольческий корпус, РДК, romanized: Russkiy dobrovol'cheskiy korpus, RDK) is a paramilitary unit known for claiming responsibility for an attack in Bryansk Oblast in 2023. The Russian government claimed a Ukrainian group carried out a cross-border "terrorist attack", killing two civilians. The Ukrainian government denied involvement, calling it either a false-flag operation or an attack by anti-government partisans within Russia.

Russian Volunteer Corps
Русский добровольческий корпус
LeadersDenis “WhiteRex” Nikitin
Dates of operationAugust 2022–present
OpponentsRussia Government of Russia
Battles and wars2023 Bryansk Oblast attack (claimed)
Flag
WebsiteRussian Volunteer Corps on Telegram
Not to be confused with Freedom of Russia Legion or National Republican Army (Russia).

The unit announced its creation in August 2022, claiming to be made up of Russian emigrants fighting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[1] Its members have been variously described as right-wing, far-right[1][2] or neo-Nazi.[3] The group claims to be part of Ukraine's armed forces, but Ukrainian military officials say it is independent.[1]

Origin and aims

The Russian Volunteer Corps was founded in August 2022.[3] Its founder is Denis Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin, a Russian neo-Nazi football hooligan.[4] He lived in Germany from 2001 for several years.[3][5][6] He later returned to Russia and founded the neo-Nazi clothing brand White Rex in 2008. In 2017, he moved to Ukraine.[4]

It announced its formation with a statement on its newly-created Telegram channel: "We Russian volunteers living in Ukraine have decided to take up arms and create a military formation — the Russian Volunteer Corps — so that together with our Ukrainian comrades-in-arms, we can defend their homeland, which shelters us, and then continue the fight against Putin's criminal regime".[1]

Nikitin said that the RVC consists of ethnic Russians fighting for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.[1] He explained that Russian nationalism "has turned completely the wrong way" and posted a video urging white nationalists to fight Putin because Russia had turned into a police state.[1] Nikitin spoke negatively about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy because he is Jewish and "promotes the worst of liberal values", but said Putin is worse.[1] In October 2022, it published its manifesto, identifying itself as "part of Ukraine's Armed Forces", but Ukrainian officials did not comment on this.[7][8]

According to Glavcom (Russian: Главком) it was formed by Russian volunteers who had started fighting for Ukraine in the Azov Regiment and other units in 2014.[9] According to Vot Tak, unlike the Freedom of Russia Legion, the leadership of the corps does not rely on former Russian servicemen who ended up in the "Legion" after being taken prisoner, but on Russian right-wing emigrants living in Ukraine.[10] According to Vot Tak, one of the commanders said the fighters of the Corps are "right-wing conservative". They use the symbols of the Russian Liberation Army, which collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.[10]

The RVC manifesto also declared its aims were to overthrow Putin and form an ethnically Russian state that abandoned current imperial ambitions in favor of improving the well-being of ethnic Russians.[11]

Relation to other Russian armed opposition

According to Gordonua.com, the RVC was part of press conference on 31 August 2022 with the Freedom of Russia Legion and the National Republican Army. Ilya Ponomarev—political head of the National Republican Army—signed an agreement on political co-operation with the Freedom of Russia Legion, and claimed the Russian Volunteer Corps also agreed to join the agreement.[12][13] However, Meduza reports that the RVC does not collaborate with the Freedom of Russia Legion due to "ideological differences".[7]

2023 Bryansk Oblast attack
Main article: 2023 Bryansk Oblast attack

On 2 March 2023, the Russian authorities claimed that an armed Ukrainian group crossed the border and carried out a "terrorist attack" in the villages of Lyubechane and Sushany, in Bryansk Oblast. Russia said the attackers fired on a car, killing two civilians, before the Federal Security Service forced them back into Ukraine.[14] On 9 March, Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in what it called "retaliation" for the attack.[15] The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed responsibility for the alleged cross-border raid, and posted videos of armed men in Lyubechane with their insignia, urging Russians to "rise up and fight" against the government.[7][3] They claimed to have attacked Russian military vehicles rather than civilians. Nikitin claimed the attack was agreed upon with Ukrainian authorities.[3] He said the goal was to "remind Russians that you don't have to live in shackles, put up with and participate in someone else’s war".[3]

Ukrainian officials denied involvement, saying it was either a Russian false flag attack or a case of Russians rebelling against their government.[2] Ukrainian military officials said the Russian Volunteer Corps was an "independent" group.[1] Ilya Ponomarev, political representative of the Freedom of Russia Legion, said the RVC has contacts with the Ukrainian military but operates in a "gray area".[1]

On 6 April 2023, Russian Volunteer Corps fighters once again crossed the border in Bryansk Oblast, during which they entered the village of Sluchovsk. While Russian authorities claimed that an attempted incursion was prevented, the Russian Volunteer Corps released video footage showing them inside the village. During the incursion, combat operations were allegedly carried out.[16]

See also

References
  1. "Kremlin accuses Ukraine of violent attack in western Russia". The Washington Post. 2 March 2023.
  2. "Kremlin accuses Ukrainian saboteurs of attack inside Russia". Associated Press. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  3. "Founder of Russian Volunteer Corps: attack on Bryansk region coordinated with Ukrainian authorities". Novaya Gazeta. The attack on the Bryansk region of Russia, which killed two civilians and injured two, was agreed upon with Ukrainian authorities, neo-Nazi Denis Kapustin [...] The neo-Nazi movement Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit of Russian military volunteers fighting for Ukraine, claimed the responsibility for the attack.
  4. "Драка за белую расу. Как российский неонацист Денис Никитин продвигает в Украине свои идеи, и при чем тут полк «Азов»". Zaborona. 2 June 2020.
  5. "The rise of Russia's neo-Nazi football hooligans". The Guardian. Denis Nikitin, a Russian neo-Nazi
  6. "The Russian neo-Nazi hooligan who led an anti-Putin militia across the border". The Telegraph.
  7. "'Fear your partisans' A volunteer unit led by a Russian neo-Nazi raided a small town and crossed back into Ukraine. Meduza explains the bizarre incursion and what it could mean for the war". Meduza. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. Kilner, James (4 March 2023). "The Russian neo-Nazi hooligan who led an anti-Putin militia across the border". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2023. It is based in Ukraine, although it is not clear if it has the official backing of the Ukrainian army or government.
  9. "Российская оппозиция начинает вооруженное сопротивление Путину: подписано декларацию" [Russian Opposition Starts Armed Resistance to Putin: Declaration Signed]. Главком | Glavcom (in Russian). 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  10. Попков, Роман (2022-08-24). "«Русский добровольческий корпус», «Легион» и ССО «Азов». Как россияне воюют против Кремля на стороне Украины" ["Russian Volunteer Corps", "Legion" and MTR "Azov". How the Russians are fighting against the Kremlin on the side of Ukraine]. vot-tak.tv (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-09-01. В отличие от «Легиона "Свобода России"» руководство корпуса делает ставку не на бывших российских военнослужащих, оказавшихся в «Легионе» после сдачи в плен, а на русских правых эмигрантов, живущих в Украине.
  11. "Explainer: Which Russian Far-Right Groups are Fighting in Ukraine?". The Moscow Times. 24 March 2023.
  12. ""Русский добровольческий корпус", легион "Свобода России" и "Национальная республиканская армия" РФ подписали декларацию о сотрудничестве" ["Russian Volunteer Corps", Legion "Freedom of Russia" and "National Republican Army" of the Russian Federation signed a declaration of cooperation "]. gordonua.com (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  13. "Илья Пономарев опубликовал "Ирпенскую декларацию" российской оппозиции: "Вооруженное сопротивление путинскому фашизму"" [Ponomarev published the "Irpen Declaration" of the Russian opposition: "Armed resistance to Putin's fascism"]. hvylya.net (in Russian). 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  14. "Russia accuses Ukraine of cross-border attack in Bryansk". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  15. "Updates: Russia pounds Ukraine in 'retaliation' for border attack". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  16. "Russian Volunteer Corps attacks Bryansk Oblast again". 6 April 2023. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
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