What is known about the two groups who claimed responsibility for the armed incursion into Russia

Two armed groups which claim to be made up of Russiansclaimed responsibility for Ukraine’s attack on the Belgorod region on Monday, the most serious incursion into Russia so far during the conflict.

This is what is known at the moment of both organizations, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom Legion for Russia, which have claimed to have acted in a coordinated manner.

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) it was released in Marchclaiming a first foray into Russia in the Briansk border region.

It is directed by Denis Nikitin, a well-known Russian far-right, who organized martial arts matches in Ukraine and owned a clothing brand. Russia calls him a “terrorist”.

Closed fist

The Freedom Legion for Russia, created in the spring of 2022, It has a clenched fist as its emblemand is also considered a “terrorist” by the Russian authorities.

Its political leader is former Russian MP Ilia Ponomariov, the only one who voted against Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and who then settled in Ukraine.

In their coverage of the incident, Ukrainian media singled out a Legion representative who responds to the name “Caesar”.

AFP spoke to him in December 2022 on the Eastern Front in Ukraine. “Caesar” declared it fight “against (Vladimir) Putin’s regime” and has described himself as a Russian patriot and a “right-wing nationalist”.

He also claims to be a physiotherapist originally from St. Petersburg. The Russian investigative medium agenttvo identified him as a long-standing member of Russia’s far-right imperialist and nationalist nebula.

Both groups claim to have hundreds of men in their ranks, e they want President Putin to fall.

The Volunteer Corps claims to be dedicated to reconnaissance and sabotage activities on Russian territory.

One of its fighters, known by the pseudonym ‘Fortuna’, told AFP in March that the Corps coordinates its action with the Ukrainian army when he is on Ukrainian territory and acts alone in Russia.

infrastructure

In an interview with independent Russian media Jack in April, a representative of the Volunteer Corps, Vladimir “Cardinal”, said he wanted the creation of “a Russian national state on the territory of regions predominantly inhabited by ethnic Russians”.

The Legion defines itself as a group of “partisans” whose goal is build “a new free Russia”.

Its website indicates that the group orchestrated attacks against Russian military and railway infrastructure.

After the raid on Belgorod, “Caesar” told Ukrainian television that the scale of operations conducted by both organizations “it would have increased over time.”

Neither group he said how or who finances them. Ukraine has also said nothing about its ties to these two organizations, the existence of which it describes as Russia’s “internal” problem.

But former MP Ponomariov told British LBC radio this week that the Ukrainians “help us train our forces and They provide us with the necessary equipment.

The Legion has indicated on its Twitter account that it has French RT61 mortars.

In the attack on the Belgorod region, the Russian authorities said they had to face mortar, artillery and drone strikes.

The Kremlin reiterated on Monday and Tuesday that the elements it has had to contend with are Ukrainian fighters, not Russian insurgents.

He also accused Kiev of planning the operation to “divert attention” from Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine which he claimed to have conquered.

After the attack on Belgorod, the head of the Russian Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, denounced a failure of the Russian state.

“There is no government, no will and no people willing to defend their country”, said Prigozhin, who railed against those who “suck money” instead of “guaranteeing the security of the state”.

The Telegram channel “Rybar”, which comments on events related to the conflict and has more than a million subscribers, believed that Kiev wanted with this operation “Sow Panic” in Russia.