Mar 6: The Russian Volunteer Corps- the most mysterious unit of the UAF
As published in Glavkom.UA on October 26, 2022
Alina Yevych, The most mysterious unit of the Armed Forces. How the Russian volunteer corps is organized- Glavkom.UA
"None of the fighters have been captured yet. Everyone has a grenade just in case."
The Russian Volunteer Corps is one of the most mysterious units in the Territorial Defense. It consists of volunteers originally from Russia, who went through the Revolution of Dignity, fought in the ATO and OOS, and fought in their homeland against Putin's regime. After a full-scale invasion, these soldiers decided to unite into one unit and now perform combat tasks as part of the 98th battalion of the Teroborona "Azov-Dnipro" of the 108th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“From the beginning, the Corps was a group of friends, acquaintances, etc. We used to sit and analyze: Ukraine has a large number of Belarusian, British, Chechen, etc. And why is there no Russian? That's how the idea came to unite in one unit, to gather in it guys scattered in other units. Now we are probably the only unit consisting of Russians. However, these are not only ethnic Russians, but also people from Russia in general. It's just that it's easier for us to find a common language with those who ended up in Ukraine because of the struggle against the Kremlin regime, because of a common, so to speak, "profe-deformation," says the fighter with the call sign Rex. - According to the ideological vector, we adhere to right-conservative views, which are also called nationalist. For us, the difference between the definitions of "Russian" and "Russian" is important. We see,Buryats , Chechens , Dagestanis , Kalmyks, under the thesis "they are all Russians".
How the Russians made their unit in Ukraine
Rex says: "breaking through the ice of suspicion" of the Ukrainian authorities was not easy, but all members of the Corps, of whom there are several dozen today, understand this selectivity in trust. They themselves are doubly wary of anyone willing to join the ranks of the Russian Volunteer Corps.
"All of us took up arms on February 24. We managed to break through the Ukrainian bureaucracy, the wall of misunderstanding and suspicion. We have been fighting officially since August - that's when our Corps was created (according to documents). An important difference of our unit is that we remain volunteers. That is, everyone who comes to us, fights exclusively of their own free will. These are not prisoners, defectors, or people pressed against the wall by some life circumstances. Only people who fight because they think it's right. This is, in fact, a struggle for our future. Because we sincerely believe that the fall of the Russian Federation will allow us to return home," says Rex.
The Russian ironizes that the very fact of the existence of their unit is a direct counter-argument to the theses spread by Russian propaganda , that Ukraine hates everything Russian and forbids communication in Russian, while the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation are oppressed.
"Our fighters are not in Ukraine for the first time. Among us are those who fought for Donetsk airport, Pisky, Shirokino, Debaltseve. Now our corps is performing tasks in the south and east of Ukraine. They also took part in the defense of Kyiv after February 24," adds Rex Fortune's brother.
Communicate with the authorities "with a raised visor"
The volunteers do not reveal their names, and at the same time note that some of them were once known in Russia for their views and fought against the Kremlin regime even before 2014. However, now most prefer to be incognito, because they have relatives left in Russia.
"It was decided that some of the Corps fighters will appear in public with their faces open. First, they were public figures even before the war. Secondly, faces in masks that make loud statements do not inspire confidence, because they will not have any responsibility for what they say. But the person who removes the mask is obliged to answer. Therefore, an open face adds weight to our words," explains Fortuna.
However, when talking with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, everyone opened their faces.
"At some point in the high offices of the Ukrainian government, someone took the courage to entrust the protection of Ukraine to the citizens of the aggressor country, to give them the opportunity to receive ammunition, to hold a certain section of the front. Therefore, I believe that if people trust us, we are obliged to respond to them with a raised visor. Because weapons, important information, information would not be entrusted to people wearing masks," explains Rex. He speaks with an open face, because his relatives do not live in Russia.
Do you want to join the Russian corps? Pass an inspection at the SBU
The corps currently has several dozen soldiers, its representatives do not name the exact number. They say that the selection is carried out in several stages and not everyone can pass it. Attention became especially acute after Putin announced the mobilization.
"We treat all new candidates with caution in order to avoid problems related to espionage, foreign agents, provocations, etc. First, we conduct several interviews, if there is a need - we ask the SBU to check the person. Next is a careful acquaintance with the team (how a person behaves during training, on the training ground, what skills and character he has). And only after that a person gets to the front," explains Fortuna.
It is good that the Russians are now appealing to us through mobilization. But where have you been before?
Rex adds that after the announcement of mobilization on the territory of the Russian Federation, letters poured in to their Corps from those willing to join their ranks. This somewhat infuriates the Corps fighters.
"Of course, it's wonderful - that the citizens of Russia are starting to wake up quickly, that they have a desire to do something, to influence events or at least their own lives. But we understand that the war did not start on February 24, but the disgusting Kremlin regime that unleashed it has existed for 22 years. That is why we were quite disappointed by the fact that most of our fellow citizens woke up only when summonses began to be served to them. We ask everyone a counter question: "Where were you at the beginning of these events and before them? Why didn't they take part in political life or struggle?". Our stay here is the result of a whole series of decisions, and we put our lives at risk even when we were on the territory of Russia. Some of my friends died in this struggle, some are imprisoned because of the regime. So when people ask if they can join us, we don't quite understand if they can be trusted. Because when this military chaos disappears in the Russian Federation, what is the probability that they will not decide to leave our Corps? In our ranks, we want to see those who are ready, like us, to expose their life and freedom to a logical risk," he says.
To the war, so as not to be deported
Fighters note: there are cases when even those who are eager to fight have to be refused. Usually these are people without military experience, they are trying to fit them into the civilian structure of the Corps.
"We find tasks not related to the front so as not to push people away from us. Because the Russian community in Ukraine is currently in a very bad state. Neither service approves of Russian citizens, especially after February 24. As of that tragic day, about 300,000 citizens of the Russian Federation were in Ukraine, all of them are now in dire straits - their permanent residence permits are expiring and they cannot extend them. Some guys asked to join our Corps, because their permits expire in a few days. Not to be deported. We try to help them as well, - explains "Rex". Smiling. - Our unit in this chaos is a certain island of stability"
The law of Ukraine guarantees that soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with foreign citizenship go through the procedure of obtaining Ukrainian citizenship at an accelerated pace.
And if a prisoner?
The Corps notes that none of their fighters have been captured yet. For this case, everyone has a grenade.
"Regarding the question of what we expect from Russia if one of our people is captured... In principle, a demonstration of expectations will be what happened in a correctional colony in the Saratov region (a colony where animal torture is used on prisoners - "Glavkom" ). It is clear that nothing else awaits us, except for torture and demonstration punishment videos. Therefore, none of us will appear alive. During hostilities, each of us wears a grenade on his belt, which will help to avoid a shameful and painful capture," emphasizes another soldier of the Cardinal Corps.
"Memorandum" of the Russian Volunteer Corps
"Fighters of the "Russian Volunteer Corps" protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine by military means. The war waged by the Russian Federation in Ukraine with the aim of seizing territories and destroying the civilian population contradicts all norms of international law, the rules of hostilities and moral and ethical principles, as a result of which the Corps recognized it as criminal. The fighters are fighting against the Kremlin authorities and all persons who carry out criminal orders and support the war unleashed by Russia.
The corps recognizes Russia as a terrorist country and denies conducting diplomatic talks with it.
The main military and political goals of the Corps are:
Protection and restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the borders of 1991;
the overthrow of the ruling regime in the Russian Federation.
After achieving the main goals, the Russian Volunteer Corps calls for:
the organization of an international tribunal regarding all persons involved in launching, waging and supporting an aggressive war against Ukraine;
refusal of the annexed territories of Ukraine during aggressive wars;
guarantee of the national will of the Russian people".
Many thanks to Stephen Komarnyckyj for the heads up on this article.