A Russian fighter from the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a unit under the control of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, appeared on Polsat News, a Polish commercial TV channel, and claimed on behalf of his unit that they attacked the Bryansk region inside Russia.
The attack has been met with rage by the Russian government.
The soldier confirmed that he and his comrades want to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He revealed that the RDK is composed of Russians who have lived in Ukraine and who regard it as their home. He said they are all volunteers who felt it their duty to defend their homes. None of them had military backgrounds before the start of this war.
The soldier, who introduced himself as Kiril and who goes under the pseudonym of Solar, said that he and the unit not only want to see the back of Putin but also desire to see the break-up of the Russian Federation. He claimed that his unit had demonstrated that Russia cannot control its borders.
According to him, the operation that took place last week had been planned for several months but took just half a day to complete. The unit moved into some villages, occupied them, and then backed off and returned to Ukraine.
Kiril said that locals did not understand what was going on, as the members of the unit told them “they were from the Russian FSB.” Some, on the other hand, knew that they had come from Ukraine. He denied Russian claims that the unit took hostages or that it made people speak Ukrainian and used excessive force.
The pro-Ukraine Russian was pleased that Putin had noted the unit’s activities during the Russian leader’s press conference. This meant that the action hit home and gained visibility, “which was the whole point of the exercise.”
