The Russian Freedom Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps say they’re combating Putin’s “dictatorship” from insideThese Russian fighters have claimed accountability for an assault launched from Ukraine in opposition to Russian territory within the Belgorod area”We are the identical Russians as you, however not anymore we wish to justify the actions of the criminals in energy”, stated these militiamen in a message to their compatriots
Groups of Russian fighters against Vladimir Putin’s rule declare to have attacked the Belgorod area, on the border with Ukraine. Who are these anti-Kremlin Russian militiamen who say they’ve invaded a border village inside Russia? They declare to have crossed from Ukrainian territory and seized the city of Kozinka whereas sending models to the city of Grayvoron. Can these inner opponents change into an added headache for the Russian president?
These militiamen belong to 2 completely different teams: the Russian Freedom Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC). The first is a Ukraine-based Russian militia that claims to be working from inside to oust Putin, to “liberate Russia” from its chief. After the incursion on Monday, he introduced on his social networks that he had “utterly liberated” the city of Kozinka.
In one other message posted on Twitter, fighters of the Russian Freedom Legion deal with their compatriots: “We are the identical Russians as you. We solely distinguish ourselves by the truth that we not wished to justify the actions of criminals in energy and took arms to defend our and your freedom”.
The group’s spokesman provides: “We need our kids to develop up in peace and be free; that they’ll journey, research, be pleased in a free nation. But this has no place in Putin’s Russia rotten with corruption, lies, censorship, restrictions to freedom and repression. It’s time for the Kremlin dictatorship to finish. Be courageous, do not be afraid as a result of we’re coming house. Russia might be free!”
Statement for the world made by the troopers of the Freedom of Russia Legion earlier than they crossed into Russia from Ukraine this morning.
They say the tip aim for them is the Red Square in Moscow.
English subtitles on the backside pic.twitter.com/nw7trf5PHI
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 22, 2023
That Russian Freedom Legion was fashioned weeks after the invasion of Ukraine started (launched 15 months in the past, on February 24, 2022). Their aim is to “liberate Russia from Putinism,” Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled Russian politician who claims to be a political consultant of the group of fighters, instructed Newsweek journal.
With the assistance of our buddies, we made a motivational video for The Freedom of Russia Legion
It was shot on a coaching floor as we put together to go to warfare in opposition to Putin and his regime.
The Freedom of Russia Legion is ready for you!
“L”
For Russia! For Freedom!#Legion_Liberty pic.twitter.com/Xqutb1Le5t
— Freedom of Russia Legion (@RussiaLegion) April 26, 2022
The Russian Freedom Legion was declared a terrorist group by the Russian Supreme Court final March.
Fighters of the Freedom for Russia legion report a video, saying that they’ve smashed by way of the Russian border.
They at the moment are combating in opposition to the Russian Army on Russian soil pic.twitter.com/6TJSQSu0jX
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 22, 2023
On their social networks, the formation has ensured that the “liberation” of the Russian city of Kozinka was carried out along with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), one other group of militiamen against the Kremlin. This is led by a distinguished Russian nationalist who has confirmed involvement within the raid.
Tension in Russia’s Belgorod area
The Belgorod regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, attributed that cross-border incursion to “a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated he was working to drive out the “saboteurs,” the state information company RIA Novosti reported. According to AFP, Moscow would have opened an investigation “for terrorism”.
Clashes are escalating alongside that Ukraine-Russia border and it’s unclear whether or not the newest incursion is a part of a sustained army technique or supposed to be a diversionary assault, the BBC experiences.
The Kremlin has claimed the assault was designed to “divert consideration” from Bakhmut, the disputed metropolis in Donbas that Russia claims to have taken over after 9 months of bloody battle. kyiv would really like, Moscow assures, “to attenuate the political impact of its loss.”
Ukraine denies connections to anti-Putin Russian militants
Ukraine has denied any connection to those Russian anti-Putin fighters, saying they act independently and usually are not topic to army management, The Guardian experiences. “The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Russian Freedom Legion, made up of residents of the Russian Federation, have launched an operation to liberate these territories of the Belgorod area from the Putin regime and push again the enemy in an effort to create a sure zone to guard the Ukrainian civilian inhabitants,” stated Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s army intelligence.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak claimed, in line with The Guardian, that kyiv was “observing occasions within the Belgorod area” however had nothing to do with the assaults.
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