Russian rebels who are Pro-Ukraine have been causing trouble for Vladimir Putin’s regime by targeting critical military infrastructure at home, one saboteur has told The Daily Express US
A deputy commander in the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) – one of two groups launching attacks inside Russia – claims “guerrilla” fighters are gaining support and momentum.
“There is a very big resistance [movement] from our Legion, which is present inside Russia. It is our guerrilla movement doing some acts of military sabotage: burning war commissariats, destroying railways in our fight against Putin,” the fighter, callsign Caesar, told Daily Express US.
“From day to day, this fighting is getting more fierce and stronger. More people can see that we are on the right side and want to join us to help us to overthrow Putin.”
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He added the FRL fighters took fewer casualties than the Russian defenders in recent direct combats, and paramilitary groups
have now started carrying out tactical raids across the Ukrainian border.
This comes after reports of numerous mysterious fires across Russia, including arson attacks on supply depots, recruitment offices, police stations, and other targets, since the start of the war.
Train derailments throughout Russia have also become more frequent too, further stretching thin Kremlin supply chains.
Last year, it was reported that Freedom of Russia Legion saboteurs targeted Kremlin propaganda, including banners displaying the now-infamous pro-war Z symbol.
Caesar said he was one of the first over the border with other Legion fighters as they crossed from Ukraine and into Russia.
While he claims the group is not working directly with Kyiv, many of the attacks took place in Belgorod – an Oblast bordering Ukraine with about 1.5 million residents – in May, as well as earlier this month.
Caesar said: “The wall built inside the Russian media” as the Kremlin had to recognise that guerrilla fighters were operating on Russian territory.
He said the raid gave hope to “communities” inside Russia willing to risk armed struggle against Putin’s regime: “[Freedom of Russia Legion’s] political goal is to show that we are able to gather people to resist the regime with weapons and guns in their hands. And this is the only way that this regime can fall.”
An expert has warned that Russians could potentially perceive the attack in two ways: either Putin’s war coming home or as an attack by Ukraine bolstering the regime’s propaganda.
Professor Dr Pete Duncan, Russia expert at UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies, told The Daily Express US: “[Russians] may well go on to think: ‘Gosh, it’s pretty terrible if this is what the Ukraine war has now achieved – using Ukrainians to attack inside Russia. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to fight Ukraine.
“On the other hand, now, perhaps [more Russians will think] ‘we have to defend ourselves even more and get behind the regime’. I really fear that may be a consequence.”
Dr Duncan did agree that if a large enough operation was successful in the region, it could have damming consequences for Putin.
Caesar confirms more raids by Russian paramilitary groups into their home country could be on the horizon. He said: “We are not restricted with anything basically and if we see that there is a need to repeat those raids, we will do that.”
