Russian Volunteer Corps: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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The '''Russian Volunteer Corps''' ('''RVC'''; {{lang-ru|Русский добровольческий корпус, РДК|Russkiy dobrovolcheskiy korpus, RDK}}) is a far-right [[paramilitary]] unit of [[Russia|Russian]] citizens, based in [[Ukraine]].<ref name="WashingtonPost" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/how-russians-end-up-far-right-militia-fighting-ukraine-2023-05-11/ |title=How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine |website=[[Reuters]]|date=11 May 2023 |last1=Pikulicka-Wilczewska |first1=Agnieszka |last2=Pikulicka-Wilczewska |first2=Agnieszka }}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Hopkins |first1=Valerie |title=For Ukraine Military, Far-Right Russian Volunteers Make for Worrisome Allies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/world/europe/the-leader-of-a-russian-group-involved-in-a-border-incursion-is-described-by-watchdogs-as-a-neo-nazi.html |work=The New York Times |date=26 May 2023}}</ref> It was formed in August 2022, during the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], to fight against the [[Russia under Vladimir Putin|government of Vladimir Putin]].<ref name="WashingtonPost"/><ref name="AP 2 March"/><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-05-24 |title=The Interview - Pro-Kyiv Russian group says it 'didn't lose a single soldier' in cross-border raids on Belgorod |url=https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-interview/20230524-pro-ukraine-group-didn-t-lose-a-single-soldier-in-cross-border-raids-leader-says |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref> The group reportedly consists of Russian emigrants who are primarily united by their opposition to Putin.<ref name="WashingtonPost"/> According to Ukrainian military officials, the group is not a part of the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]].<ref name="WashingtonPost"/>

Assessments of the ideology of this group vary from [[white nationalist]] to [[neo-Nazi]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-25 |title=Inside the controversial group of Russian dissidents fighting with Ukraine against Putin |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/inside-the-controversial-group-of-russian-dissidents-fighting-with-ukraine-against-putin |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-21 |title="Мы — русские, и мы — не россияне" |url=https://doxa.team/articles/rdk-profile |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=DOXA}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name="dw-ideology">{{cite news |date=24 May 2024 |title=Who are the Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine? |url=https://www.dw.com/en/who-are-the-russian-volunteers-fighting-for-ukraine/a-65722771 |work=Deutsche Welle}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=24 May 2024 |title=Who's behind the attack on a Russian region bordering Ukraine? |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-border-attacks-explainer-88af10d3895a203918f03ba32687b908 |work=AP News}}</ref> According to theThe RVC themselves,stated however,that they merely maintain [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[conservatism|conservative]] views and reject the aforementioned extremist labels given to the organization as a whole by some observers.<ref>https://www.dw.com/en/who-are-the-russian-volunteers-fighting-for-ukraine/a-65722771</ref><ref>https://rusvolcorps.com/en/about</ref><ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/belgorod-raid-russian-volunteer-corps-freedom-russia-legion-rcna86168</ref> Nonetheless, their founder and leader is reportedly [[Denis Kapustin (militant)|Denis Kapustin]], a neo-Nazi who in 2019 was banned from the [[Schengen Area]].<ref name="telegraph">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/03/04/russian-neo-nazi-hooligan-who-led-anti-putin-militia-across/ |title=The Russian neo-Nazi hooligan who led an anti-Putin militia across the border |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=4 March 2023 |last1=Kilner |first1=James |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119040948/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/03/04/russian-neo-nazi-hooligan-who-led-anti-putin-militia-across/ |archive-date=19 January 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The group claimed responsibility for a March 2023 [[2023 Bryansk Oblast raid|raid into the Bryansk region]] of Russia. Since May 2023, it has been launching larger cross-border [[2023 Belgorod Oblast attack|raids into the Belgorod region]] of Russia, alongside the [[Freedom of Russia Legion]].