INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
For Russians who have been combating on Ukraines side as part of the Freedom of Russia legion given that President Vladimir Putin sent
soldiers into Ukraine, secrecy is of the utmost importance
The specific number of their workers is strictly confidential, their positions are never disclosed and their declarations are carefully
worded.Their representative, who uses the nom de guerre Caesar, walks through what remains of an Orthodox monastery in Dolina, a village in
eastern Ukraines Donetsk region that was recaptured from Russian forces in the fall
Among its ruins are a shattered onion-shaped golden dome, a stucco lion, and scattered religious icons-- a scene of damage that reveals the
world what Putins worths are, Caesar says
I am not battling my motherland
I am fighting against Putins program, against evil, he states, switching in between Russian and English
Im a real Russian patriot who thinks about the future of my nation
The legion, which was developed at the start of the Russian invasion, belongs to the corps of worldwide volunteers fighting with the
Its symbol includes a clenched fist with the words Russia and Freedom
According to Caesar, the legion boasts numerous hundred Russians who after two months of training were released to Ukraines industrial
Donbas area in May.Some of its soldiers are now combating in the town of Bakhmut on the eastern frontline, the scene of a number of months
Under the command of Ukrainian forces, they are typically taken part in releasing artillery
They are inspired and professional fighters, they do their job completely, a Ukrainian officer tells AFP, speaking on condition of
The employees went through several rounds of interviews, psychological tests, and even a polygraph to guarantee their loyalty, the officer
PropagandaThe contribution of the Russian legion to the war effort is even more significant away from the battlefield, states military
They participate in the war however do not have substantial impact due to their small numbers, Zhdanov states
Their importance is more political
Its good for Ukraine to be able to reveal that there are Russians who support democracy and freedom and who combat on the best side
On social networks, the legion primarily posts propaganda videos and claims to have actually gotten countless applications
Its members all have specific inspirations for employing, a few of them more personal than political
A male who goes by the call sign Tikhiy ( Quiet ) is wed to a Ukrainian he met in Russia, where they dealt with their 2 children
They were visiting his wifes family in Kyiv when Russia attacked
She would not have actually understood if we remained in Russia, says the male in his 40s from the southwestern Russian city of Tolyatti
He has had barely any contact with his household back in Russia considering that the fighting began
Theyve been persuaded a bit
I know theyre worried about me, he states
As for his good friends, They are resting on their couch in Russia and duplicating: We are going to liberate Ukraine, he adds
He thinks about the Russian soldiers opponents, but while he has made an application for Ukrainian citizenship, he wont be able to get it
up until after the war is over
For the minute, I still have the opponents passport, he states
Russia is passing awayCaesar, the representative, utilized to work as a physio therapist in St
Petersburg, Russias previous capital and second-largest city
He says he has political motives, explaining himself as a right-wing nationalist who thinks Putins program can just be toppled by force
He is unimpressed with Russian forces, calling them puppets, and says his fellow citizens do not wish to see or hear anything
Go to the villages, you will see drunks, drug addicts, lawbreakers
People are suffering, he adds
Its clear, he states, that Putins twenty years in power are to blame
His system, his federal government his deputies
They are losers, corrupt, thieves, who only think of living for cash and pleasure
Its no chance to run a nation, he includes
After Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb
24, Caesar took his partner and four children to Kyiv, and he stated he thinks he can speak freely now that they remain in Ukraine, where he
considers them to be more secure
They too live in fear of the bombardments and in the cold, however they agree with my options
