Highlights: Military raids have been reported in the Belgorod region, emanating from Russian fighters infiltrated from Ukraine and opposed to Putin's regime. Two groups would be at the maneuver: the Russian Volunteer Corps, a paramilitary formation classified as far right, and the Freedom Legion of Russia, presented as more moderate. Maria Noël, from RFI's Russian service in Paris, was able to meet with the head of the "Civil Council", an organization of Russian emigrants allied with the first unit. She discusses how volunteers are recruited, the functions of her organization, and why a Russian right-wing nationalist and a yoga teacher can find themselves side by side on the battlefield.

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Armed incursions into Russia: "Those who pass through our structure are not necessarily ultra-right"

Since the beginning of the week, military raids have been reported in the Belgorod region, emanating from Russian fighters infiltrated from Ukraine and opposed to Putin's regime. Two groups would be at the maneuver: the Russian Volunteer Corps, a paramilitary formation classified as far right, and the Freedom Legion of Russia, presented as more moderate. Maria Noël, from RFI's Russian service in Paris, was able to meet with the head of the "Civil Council", an organization of Russian emigrants allied with the first unit, responsible in particular for recruitment.

Badge of the Russian Volunteer Corps. © Telegram / Russian Volunteer Corps

Text by: Maria Noël

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It was on November 2 that the "Civil Council" made public its activity as a partner and political ally of the Russian Volunteer Corps (KDR). In a brief memorandum, he proclaims his solidarity with "the resolution of theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which recognises the terrorist character of the current regime in Russia". In addition to "citizens' initiative groups from the autonomous republics and regions of Russia", the political association is represented by "units of citizens of the Russian Federation that are part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to end the war and implement a citizens' transition - a program aimed at eliminating a criminal group from power". The alliance considers that "driving out terrorists in power requires the use of armed force".

Anastasia Sergeeva is the international secretary and co-founder of the Civil Council. In this interview, she discusses how volunteers are recruited to these units, the functions of her organization, and why a Russian right-wing nationalist and a yoga teacher can find themselves side by side on the battlefield.

RFI: When was the Russian Volunteer Corps (KDR) created?

Anastasia Sergeeva: It is a division within the International Legion of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It is not a private military company – like Wagner – or a partisan movement. It is a military unit along with the Kalinovsky Regiment, the Georgian Battalion and other units of the Ukrainian International Legion. They entered the Legion in August of last year and before that they had the status of a territorial defense force. The hard core of the RDK are citizens of the Russian Federation who fought in the Azov battalion. They were joined by those who were in Ukraine at the beginning of the war.

What are the functions of the Civil Council? Was it difficult to organize the recruitment of volunteers?

Of course, it is difficult to organize the recruitment of volunteers. The idea of the Civil Council [Editor's note: there is still a lack of additional information on its members] was born in the early days of the war. The founders are people who immediately understood what our goals were and that we had no time to waste in discussion. The first contacts with Ukraine took place in March last year, but following the events in Bucha and Irpin, Zelensky passed a decree banning Russian citizens from entering Ukraine, which significantly slowed down the process.

It helped us a lot that Denis Sokolov, a very famous and respected Caucasus scholar among Muslims, was one of the co-founders of the Civil Council. This allowed us to establish relations with the commander of the "Crimea" battalion, Isa Akaev. Now it is very clear that we are allies of Ukraine and we are grateful to the Ukrainians who have helped us all this time. We attach great importance to their trust.

Last fall, we agreed with the Ukrainian command that the KDR would become a platform for the volunteers we recruit from outside Ukraine. At that time, it was the only structured division where it was possible to add men. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been several waves of arrivals. The men who passed through us participated in the March operations and the one that is currently underway. Recently, one of our volunteers was killed (Dmitri Petrov, antifascist and anarchist from Russia, doctor of history and anthropologist, who died during the defense of Bakhmout at the end of April). Two others were injured, one seriously.

The political positioning of RDK fighters raises many questions. In the Telegram channels of the Russian Volunteer Corps, on one of the videos, we see two people who would be difficult to imagine together in civilian life: a member of the nationalist ultra-right, Alexei Lyovkin, and a former actor and yoga teacher, anarchist, Kirill Kanakhin. What can you say about that?

Those who pass through our structure are not necessarily ultra-right. Today, there is also the "Siberia" battalion which recruits volunteers, especially leftists or anarchists. That's why volunteers can choose which division they want to join.

One of the difficulties we are currently facing is to allow volunteers in a third country - who need a visa to enter Ukraine, or are in Russia without a passport or have applied for asylum in Europe, but nevertheless want to fight - to join us. We are working on these issues with the help of the Civil Council.

We also provide equipment, training, transportation for volunteers, we help their families and the volunteers themselves as long as they are not under contract with the Ukrainian army and are not paid.

The Civil Council is a broad organization, which presupposes the participation of all those who are ready to fight for their homeland - whatever the meaning given to that word. That is why in this organization, Russian nationalists are forced to accommodate the presence of Cherkess or Yakut nationalists. People on the left with those on the right, Muslims with Orthodox, etc.

First, it makes perfect sense. If you don't like that only right-wingers are fighting, then join us. Then, in Russia, they discriminated too much and pitted people against each other. As long as a man does not commit a crime, he has the right to think what he wants. And the marginalization of nationalists by the liberal intelligentsia pushed some of them towards fascism and Nazism. When Russian nationalists go on the attack with Chechens or Yakuts, it is difficult to blame them for their Nazism or fascism.

On Tuesday, Russian authorities said they had lifted the anti-terrorist operation regime in the Belgorod region. It lasted just under 24 hours and ended with the "liquidation" of the threat. What was the purpose of this operation? Do you think the operation itself was a success?

As for the operation, I prefer to wait for the official announcements, and not make assumptions. [On Tuesday] the RDK commander replied in an interview with Mark Feygin [former Pussy Riot lawyer and activist blogger, Editor's note] that the operation was continuing. We are waiting. What we are observing is that Russian forces are not prepared for war or for domestic opposition. It is one thing to beat unarmed students and pensioners with a truncheon, to get peaceful citizens out of bed as in 1937. It is quite another to face men who want to control a territory. It is also clear that the statements of the governors, FSB, etc. are pure bureaucracy.

How do the Civil Council and the members of the RDK see the Russia of today, and that of tomorrow?

We, the Civil Council coalition, consider the Russian Federation to be a failed State. And its leaders war criminals and political criminals. One of our essential tasks is the establishment of an independent tribunal. We gather evidence and prepare indictments.

We believe that every nation has the right to self-determination. This means that, by default, all republics and regional communities or ethnic groups are initially free to choose between independence, participation in a federation or confederation, autonomy, etc.

We are convinced that Russians as a nation also have the right to self-determination. And this, among other things, can be a remedy against imperialism and colonialism. However, not everything is so simple. There are many differences among Russians.

You don't have a separatist goal?

Under conditions where Vladimir Putin has already done everything for the break-up of the country, separatism is on the side of those who are the Kremlin's allies. As soon as Putin disappears, they will divide the country into territories to control.

How are you funded? Can volunteers be sure that the RDK is not a secret service project – no matter which ones?

Representatives of regional, national or diaspora communities assist us financially. We also collect donations from our supporters. Obviously, this is limited and irregular funding. Who sometimes gives 1000 euros, who 100, who 10,000. That's why we don't have a promotional campaign, no media and why we don't feed blogs.

The resources raised go to training, equipment, etc.

As for the guarantees, they are linked to our reputation. None of us ran to make a deal with the presidential administration or worked in the Kremlin. Our biographies are transparent and unblemished. There is no better guarantee.

Armed incursions into Russia: "Those who pass through our structure are not necessarily ultra-right"

Armed incursions into Russia: "Those who pass through our structure are not necessarily ultra-right"

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