Men from the US, UK, Sweden, Lithuania, Mexico and India all pose in a ditch on the outskirts of Kiev in early March. At that time, the Ukrainian army proudly presented the first volunteers of the so-called International Legion of Ukrainian Territorial Defense and circulated the photo. To contain Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine primarily needs weapons from abroad. However, volunteers emphasized international support in fighting the invaders.

This is especially true when Russia is deployed to defend Ukraine militarily. Their camouflage outfit has “Svoboda Rossii” stitched, “Russian Freedom” under the fist. The first activity was announced in March, and there was talk of 100 fighters. According to their own statement, the group now consisted of two full-fledged battalions, which would number up to 1,000 men. They are said to be equipped with the most modern weapons and equipment. This information cannot be verified.

Legion is very active on Telegram and Youtube. Videos are regularly uploaded there, most recently on Wednesdays. In it, the group says the number of those looking to join has tripled in recent weeks. But practical tips in combat are also part of the repertoire, so wound care is shown. The Legion summed up their motivations in one sentence: “For God’s sake, this man (President Putin) must not remain in power.”

“Cleansing the Past”

Unlike other units of the International Legion, whose members appear without a balaclava, Russia attaches great importance to anonymity. They want to protect family members from retaliation, he said. There is also little information about where the Russian fighters are deployed. As a result, speculation circulated that the Legion was simply a Ukrainian invention to undermine Russia’s war morale.

In June, Igor Volobuyev spoke up and publicly announced the change of his side. He served in the energy giant Gazprom empire for more than 20 years, the last six years as deputy head of Gazprombank. As a native of Ukraine, he can no longer sit back and watch what Russia is doing to his homeland, Volobuyev explains his struggles in the Legion: “I want to clean up my Russian past.”

The Legion was almost certainly used in combat alongside the Ukrainian army, Britain’s Ministry of Defense reported on Twitter in mid-June. The existence of “Swoboda Rossii” is also supported by the fact that, according to the “Telepolis” portal, three people said to be linked to the group have been arrested in Russia. In addition, the parliament in Moscow initiated the legislative process to approve conversions in “armed conflict” – according to official Russian terminology, war is still not in effect – as treason. Imprisonment of up to 20 years.

“I thought, whether I will die an invader and a murderer or I will die with a clear conscience. So I switched sides,” a 26-year-old man with the alias “Arni” told the “Moscow Times”. The Legion will also recruit fighters in prison camps, the news site reports, who were moved to Amsterdam after the war began and are now blocked in Russia. A man named “Professor” told about the internal struggle against fellow countrymen: “But I can’t go against my principles. I want my country to be free and democratic.”

The legion of fighters is believed to belong to the liberal-democratic camp in Russia. Nationalist forces widely welcomed the invasion of neighboring countries and President Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions. It was different with the Maidan in Kyiv in 2014: During the revolution, right-wing forces from Russia also sympathized with the uprising against the corrupt political elite in Ukraine. The rulers in Moscow must also be wiped out – and the multi-ethnic Russian state must collapse. Even in the Maidan, nationalists from Russia were present. They call themselves the “Russian Legion”.