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Who are the far-right Russian groups fighting on Ukraine's side? [1]
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Date: 2023-05
According to a 2018 report by the NGO Freedom House, far-right groups have been marginal elements in Ukrainian society and politics. They have sought avenues outside of politics to impose their agenda on society, including attempts to disrupt peaceful assemblies and use force against those with opposing political and cultural views. The report does add, however, that since 2014 “extreme nationalist views and groups, along with their preachers and propagandists, have been granted significant legitimacy by the wider society”.
Ogurtsov eventually found a place in the RDK, a paramilitary group set up in August 2022, which brought together Russian fighters from various units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as new Russian recruits.
RDK’s relationship with the Ukrainian army and the country’s intelligence services is not always clear. In October, the group claimed it was performing tasks as part of the 98th territorial defence battalion “Azov-Dnipro” of the Ukrainian army (not to be confused with the volunteer paramilitary group the Azov regiment). But at the same time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informed a Ukrainian outlet, Liga.Novosti, that the RDK was not part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Speaking to openDemocracy, Taras Ferdiko, a political anthropologist and researcher of Ukrainian civil society, said: “There is circumstantial evidence that links these Russian groups, as well as different and not very numerous Ukrainian far-right militant groups, to Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR). HUR, and before it (in the war in Donbas) other intelligence agencies, have built relationships with right-wing militants and likely other politicised groups, because they are useful assets: they can be mobilised quickly and flexibly.”
Members of the RDK don’t disclose how many people there are in the group, but it can be estimated at around 100 people. About the same number of right-wing Russians continue to serve in other units, according to Fedirko.
The anthropologist explained there are significantly more Russian passport holders who are fighting on the side of Ukraine who have no links to the far right than those who do.
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[1] Url:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/russia-ukraine-belgorod-attack-putin-far-right/
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