https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Volunteer_Corps
The Russian Volunteer Corps (Русский добровольческий корпус) is a division of the International Legion of Ukraine formed as part of the Ukrainian military’s Territorial Defence Battalions after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is comprised of Russian emigrants living in Ukraine, the group was formed by Neo Nazi Denis Nikitin (a martial artist banned from Europe by the German authorities for Anti-Constitutional activity and the founder of the far-right group White Rex (Russian), a brand associated with the Azov Movement and its Reconquista Movement). It also includes members of the Azov Movement affiliate Wotanjugend (Russian):
With the beginning full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine the band took part in hostilities on the side of Ukraine. In particular, Oleksiy Lyovkin fought in the composition at the beginning of the invasion regiment «Azov»10, and as of 2024, is fighting in the Russian Volunteer Corps in stock GUR MOU11.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the RVC has worked alongside the Azov-Dnipro Territorial Defence unit, which has acted as a source for some of its recruits:
Dmitry: In summer, our Russian company was seconded to the first company of the 98th battalion of the Azov Troops in the Zaporizhzhya-Donetsk direction. We were divided into different positions, that is, on each we were Russian and Ukrainians. Our relations were normal, there are the most even and generally cool types. If someone asked why I was fighting for Ukraine, I explained this: when I had a bad life situation and I had nothing left, I came to this country, I was treated with full understanding - well, as my person. I have formed a circle of friends who trust me. And they all went to fight. That is, in principle, even in relation to them, it would be as ugly as possible - not to help them defend their homeland.
Danil : In the summer, I found out that there is still the Russian Volunteer Corps (founded the nationalist corps Denis Kapustin (Nikitin). Many of the personnel of the RDC also adhere to “legal-conservative and traditionalist views and beliefs”. — Note. ed.). They eventually took me there. In early September, I already received weapons and went to the forefront in the Donetsk direction. He studied there in parallel, remembered something. In the first shift for us is BMP-3 (armored fighting vehicle. — Note. ed.) worked well.
Russian Volunteer Corps is one of the most mysterious units in the Territorial Defense. It consists of volunteers from Russia who passed the Dignity Revolution, fought in the anti-terrorist operation and the OOS, fought at home with the Putin regime. After a full-scale invasion, these soldiers decided to unite in one unit and are now performing combat tasks in the 98th Battalion of the Azov-Dnipro Teroborona 108th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The RVC has claimed responsibility for various alleged partisan attacks in Russian regions along the Russian-Ukrainian border, posting images on their social media accounts seemingly showing their troops posing along signs for border settlements in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions and later kidnapping Russian soldiers to be held for prisoner exchanges, the Belarusian Volunteer Corps and its Terror Battalion unit have also taken part in these incursions.1
Alongside its main logo, the RVC has been seen using the symbol of the “Russian Liberation Army”, a World War 2 era Russian Nazi-collaborationist formation that fought alongside German forces during WW2.
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Footnotes
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https://t.me/russvolcorps/512, https://t.me/russvolcorps/513, https://t.me/russvolcorps/514, https://suspilne.media/483544-u-belgorodskij-oblasti-zaavili-pro-proriv-ukrainskoi-drg-so-vidomo/, https://news.yahoo.com/russian-volunteer-corps-fighters-claim-111100134.html, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65804249, https://web.archive.org/web/20230617121316/https://euroradio.fm/zdaecca-u-belgaradskay-voblasci-pabyvali-belaruskiya-dobraakhvotniki ↩