Polls show that most Russians support the war in Ukraine. However, there are also many who resist the invasion or leave the country because of it. Some take up arms and fight against the armed forces of their homeland. The “Freedom for Russia” legion was formed in Ukraine by Russian defectors and is now fighting Putin’s soldiers. Meanwhile, the Legion has even received prominent support from the Moscow elite.
Igor Volobuyev, the former vice president of Gazprombank, had already left Russia when the invasion began on February 24. Now it has become known that he fights in the “Freedom for Russia” legion. “The moment the war broke out, I knew I wanted to defend Ukraine,” the former chief executive told the British newspaper The Guardian.
As a Russian he could not be integrated into the regular troops. But he had the opportunity to join the Legion “Freedom for Russia” (Legion “Svoboda Rossii”). The 50-year-old Russian seized this opportunity. Last Saturday, the battle group published a video on its YouTube channel showing Volobuyev on target practice. In it, he announced that he had joined the Legion.
“Protect Ukraine from real fascists”
The formation was set up in early March from a company of the Russian army, which had voluntarily defected to the Ukrainian side with the help of the secret service. They wanted to ‘protect the Ukrainians against real fascists’, the company commander explained about the motives. He also called on other Russian soldiers to join the Legion to save their own people “from humiliation and destruction.” The stated goal of the Russian defectors is to fend off the invasion of Ukraine and overthrow Putin.
The group is active on social media and regularly posts videos and photos of combat operations on their Telegram channel or on YouTube. Oleksiy Arestovich, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said last month that the Legion is fighting on the front lines and doing it “very well”. “The number of applications for the Legion, including from the Russian army, is out of reach,” he told Ukrainian reporters. “They don’t have time to consider them.”
Intelligence confirms presence of troops
Meanwhile, British intelligence experts have also said the unit, recruited from Russians, is “almost certainly” participating in combat operations by the Ukrainian armed forces. The force is fighting under the white-blue-white flag – the Russian flag without red in protest against the bloody invasion.
Other Russians could follow Igor Volobuyev’s example. According to the British secret service, skepticism about the war is especially high among the business elite and oligarchs. For example, emigration applications suggested that $15,000 millionaires were trying to leave Russia.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
