According to the Russian news agency Interfax, a Ukrainian sabotage group has entered the Russian border region of Bryansk. There they are said to have shot at civilians and a school bus before taking several people hostage. The agency close to the Kremlin did not provide any evidence. On television, President Vladimir Putin described the attack as an “act of terrorism” intended to destroy Russia’s “historical memory, history and language.”
Until now, it has not been possible to independently verify the reports. The Russian administration of the village of Suschany contradicted the media reports about alleged shootings and hostage-taking in the area. Near the border with Ukraine, there has only been distance learning for months, so it is not possible to shoot at a school bus because none are in use.
Far-right corps urges Russians to fight for Ukraine
Photos and videos showing the alleged Ukrainian sabotage group have now appeared on Telegram. The force describes itself as the “Russian Volunteer Corps”. There are obviously about a dozen right-wing extremists with Russian citizenship who see themselves as fighters for Ukraine. Videos show the group at the alleged border crossing to Russia and in a Russian village in front of a doctor’s office.
The recordings also seem to be some kind of PR campaign. At first, the group vehemently denied shooting at civilians. Their sole aim is to mobilize Russian citizens. They should “rise up in rebellion” and fight for Ukraine. After the videos and photos were taken, the “volunteer corps” apparently returned to Ukraine.
Denis Nikitin: A key figure in the neo-Nazi scene becomes a Ukrainian freedom fighter
At the head of the “Russian Volunteer Corps” is the neo-Nazi Denis Nikitin. According to a ZDF report, the man next to him is said to be a fighter by the name of “Fortuna”. The two are well-known in the right-wing scene in Russia and appeared at a conference on the subject of “Liberation of Russia through the liberation of Ukraine” four months ago. They are said to have founded the “Russian Volunteer Corps” in August 2022.
In Germany, too, Nikitin is known as a key figure in the international neo-Nazi scene. In 2008 he founded the fashion brand “White Rex”, which quickly found favor in the right-wing extremist milieu and hooligan groups. However, Nikitin not only sold fashion through the label, but also organized martial arts events. The “Battle of the Nibelungs” took place annually in Germany from 2013 to 2018, but since then it has been legally prevented due to the close proximity to right-wing extremism.
In 2019, the “Spiegel” reported that Nikitin’s real name was Denis Kapustin. In 2001 he came to Cologne with his family from the former Soviet Union as a quota refugee, where, according to ZDF, his family still lives today. Nikitin is now banned from entering the entire Schengen area and is said to have been wanted by the FBI for drug smuggling at times. Since then he has lived in Kyiv.
Neo-Nazis make Ukraine a model for right-wing ideologies
At first glance, it seems surprising that Russian right-wing radicals are fighting for Ukraine. But Nikitin and his comrades-in-arms see Ukraine as an example of establishing a state free from ethnic minorities such as the Buryats in Siberia. “In my homeland they try to mix everything up and call it a political nation of Russians,” ZDF quoted Nikitin as saying. All right-wing extremist groups in Russia are united by the ideology of supremacy of the Slavs.
It is doubtful whether the “Russian Volunteer Corps” actually works with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and is equipped with weapons. The group is not an official part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense. Likewise, in an interview with a right-wing video blogger, Nikitin said that his relationship with the Ukrainian army has been rather superficial so far.
