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39-550: [REDACTED] Karelian National Movement The Russian Volunteer Corps ( RVC ; Russian : Русский добровольческий корпус, РДК , romanized :  Russkiy dobrovolcheskiy korpus, RDK ) is a far-right paramilitary unit of Russian citizens, based in Ukraine . It was formed in August 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine , to fight against the government of Vladimir Putin . The group reportedly consists of Russian emigrants who are primarily united by their opposition to Putin. According to Ukrainian military officials,

78-645: A "White Idea" - an organization that in December 1937 would join Russian Fascist party . After Socialist coalition came to power in France in 1938, Larionov, among others was deported to Germany, where he became an employee of Novoe Slovo  [ de ] , a pro-Nazi newspaper published by Russian émigrés in Berlin between 1933 and 1944. During the " Great Patriotic War " he worked for Reich Ministry for

117-468: A "patriot", a "traditionalist", a "right-winger", but rejected the label "neo-Nazi", saying "you’ll never find me waving a flag with a swastika , you’ll never find me raising my hand in a Hitler salute . So why would you call me that?". However, Kapustin's clothing brand features the Black Sun and " 88 " symbols favoured by Nazis and neo-Nazis, as well as phrases such as "SS for Sweet 'n' sexy". One of

156-680: A March 2023 raid into the Bryansk region of Russia. Since May 2023, it has been launching larger cross-border raids into the Belgorod region of Russia, alongside the Freedom of Russia Legion . The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) was founded in August 2022 The founder and leader of the group is Denis Nikitin , who has been described as a neo-Nazi. According to the Ukrainian news agency Glavcom ,

195-631: A part of the RVC in late 2023. According to Ilya Ponomarev , the RVC took part in a press conference on 31 August 2022 with the Freedom of Russia Legion and the National Republican Army when they signed a joint declaration . He claimed that the RVC also agreed to join the agreement. In October 2022, the RVC published its manifesto, identifying itself as "part of Ukraine's Armed Forces", although Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment. In March 2023, Ukrainian military officials said

234-637: A strategic advantage for Russian propagandists , enabling them to portray the Russian invasion in Ukraine as a purported effort to "de-Nazify" the nation. "De-Nazifiction" is a common talking point in Russian disinformation to justify the invasion of Ukraine . The group gathers its forces through recruiting anti-Putin activists with civilian backgrounds and then coordinates with various political factions that move individuals across borders. Those associated with

273-678: A website under the same name was created that advocated for the full independence of Karelia . The website was banned by Roskomnadzor in 2015. In 2016 Dmitry Kuznetsov gained political asylum in Spain after being prosecuted in Russia for separatism . At the point of prosecution, he had already been living in Spain for more than 2 years. The leader of the Karelian Republican Movement , Vadim Shtepa , refused to cooperate with

312-563: Is called the Karelian National Movement . Both of the organizations are far-right Karelian separatist groups, dating back to 2012 under the name Stop the Occupation of Karelia. Some Finnish and Russian journalists and politicians believe that the organization was used in information warfare . The movement was founded in 2012 under the name Stop the Occupation of Karelia by Dmitry Kuznetsov. In 2014

351-566: The Caucasus . The Wehrmacht never established firm possession of the areas designated for the last two Reichskommissariats and so German civilian control never developed there. In practice, the appointment of Erich Koch to administer the Reichskommissariat Ukraine substantially undermined Rosenberg's authority. Hitler ordered Koch to take a hard and brutal approach, which helped to push potential Ukrainian allies back to

390-649: The Free Russia Legion in the Belgorod Incursions , on 7 June 2023, Dmitry Kuznetsov announced the cessation of communication between itself and the remaining members of the Karelian National Battalion. But Vladislav Oleynik later resumed their cooperation. Some Finnish and Karelian politicians and journalists called into question the legitimacy of the organization, seeing it as a part of the information warfare during

429-601: The Karelian Republican Movement , due to their more moderate position in 2010s. Stop the Occupation of Karelia opposed partisan activities in Karelia and expects the development of a scenario following the example of Slovenia during the breakup of Yugoslavia . Stop the Occupation of Karelia also claims territories lost by Finland after the Winter War , including the city of Vyborg to be belonging to an independent Karelian state. Their claims also include Kandalaksha ,

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468-824: The Nordic countries upon the achievement of independence. Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories In February 1942, under Rosenberg's plans, the Ministry tried to promulgate a program of land reform in the occupied territories in the Soviet Union that included promises of decollectivization through the abolition of kolkhozes and the re-distribution of land to peasants for individual farming . Germany established two Reichskommissariats , for Ostland and Ukraine , and planned for two more, for Muscovy and for

507-472: The Pomors . They wish to secure rights for the indigenous peoples to do traditional activities, such as fishing and hunting. They also wish to promote Karelian language and promote rights for the indigenous peoples, and give the indigenous peoples their own autonomous areas within Karelia. The Karelian National Movement is in favour of working with other movements in Karelia and Russia to secure independence for

546-602: The Prague uprising against the German occupation. According to official RVC statement, their flag is ideological fusion of Victor Larionov's organizations - a person "from whose ideas, principles and beliefs we build off of, drawing parallels of historical and political continuity". Victor Larionov was a member of the anti-communist White movement during the Russian Civil War who, while being exiled in 1930s created

585-470: The Russian invasion of Ukraine and changed its name to the current one. It gained new members, many of whom were parts of right-wing movements, as Vladislav Oleynik, the administrator of a right-wing online group called "Væringjavegr ᛝ Fennoscandia ". He became the head of international relations of the organization. The movement also became part of the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum . The KKL

624-544: The government of Vladimir Putin . It asserts Russia's government should abandon its imperial ambitions and instead focus on improving the well-being of ethnic Russians. The RVC say they believe in self-determination for Russia's various ethnic minorities and "want to see a smaller, ethnic Russian state". RVC uses the symbols of the anti-Bolshevik Russian Liberation Army , largely composed of Soviet prisoners of war in German captivity who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II , but also helped Czech partisans in

663-626: The Finno-Ugric peoples and republics of Russia . The Karelian National Movement is also affiliated with the Conservative People's Party of Estonia and other Finnish pan-Finnic and conservative movements and organizations, such as: Uralin Lapset and Fight Club. The Karelian National Movement claims to be "anti- Neo-Bolshevik " and anti-Communist . The Karelian National Movement is Pro-western and wishes to secure relations with

702-640: The KNM, citing their ethnocentrism as the reason. He also stated that the Karelian National Movement has no future due to their extreme nationalism and complete misunderstanding of the current situation in the Republic of Karelia . On 6 June 2023, the Karelian National Movement was registered in Tartu , Estonia as a non-profit organization . On 20 July 2023, the Karelian National Movement

741-506: The Occupation of Karelia is an umbrella term for two organizations that split from each other in 2023. The organization led by the original creator, Dmitry Kuznetsov, who also goes by the name Miteri Panfilov, is called Stop the Occupation of Karelia ( Finnish : Lopeta Karjalan Valtaus ); it was previously known as the Karelian National Liberation Movement. The organization led by Vladislav Oleynik

780-653: The Occupied Eastern Territories and was a member of the Russian Liberation Army . In May 2023 RVC posted their official manifesto called " Homo ethnicus ". In this manifesto RVC rejects both Liberalism and Communism while presenting a third way - an "Ethnic worldview" encompassing unity by blood and by nation . Yulia Latynina compared the organization's manifesto to Mein Kampf . In May 2023, Denis Kapustin described himself as

819-410: The RVC come from differing ideological backgrounds . They frequently share nothing other than a mutual opposition to the invasion of Ukraine coupled with the aim of ending the current Russian government . Reuters has recounted assertions that "RVC fighters [have] received regular salaries from the Ukrainian defence ministry" as well as that the overall "unit [has] numbered up to 200 fighters". However,

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858-433: The RVC saying they had crossed the border to fight "the bloody Putinite and Kremlin regime". The governor of Belgorod Oblast said that a Ukrainian "sabotage group" had entered the region and that a "counterterrorism regime" was introduced. The paramilitaries reportedly captured several border villages. On 24 May, the RVC held a press conference on the Ukrainian side of the border. Denis 'White Rex' said they were satisfied with

897-652: The RVC was an independent group. Ilya Ponomarev, political representative of the Freedom of Russia Legion, said the RVC has contacts with the Ukrainian military but operates in a "gray area". The Russian Volunteer Corp is part of the Civic Council, a Russian emigrant association that was founded in Warsaw. Members of the group include former FSB agent Ilya Bogdanov  [ ru ; uk ] and former actor Kirill Kanakhin  [ ru ] . On 2 March 2023,

936-522: The RVC was formed by Russian volunteers who had started fighting for Ukraine in the Azov Regiment and other units in 2014. According to Polish news agency Vot Tak , unlike the Freedom of Russia Legion , the leadership of the RVC does not rely on Russian POWs-turned-defectors, but on Russian right-wing emigrants living in Ukraine. The RVC says it is made up of ethnic Russians fighting to defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion and to overthrow

975-591: The Russian authorities claimed that an armed Ukrainian group crossed the border and carried out a "terrorist attack" in the villages of Lyubechane and Sushany , in Bryansk Oblast . Russia said the attackers fired on a car, killing two civilians, before the Federal Security Service forced them back into Ukraine. On 9 March, Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in what it called "retaliation" for

1014-580: The Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian side believes that the organization was founded in order to stir up conflicts in the Republic of Karelia and create a narrative that Karelia wants to break away from Russia. Some Finnish politicians and journalists believe that the organization was created by the Federal Security Service of Russia in order to stir up revanchism and nationalism in Finland . Finnish Security Intelligence Service believe that

1053-589: The attack. The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed responsibility for the alleged cross-border raid, and posted videos of armed men in Lyubechane with their insignia, urging Russians to "rise up and fight" against the government. Ukrainian officials denied involvement, saying it was either a Russian false flag attack or a case of Russians rebelling against their government. On 6 April 2023, the Russian Volunteer Corps again claimed to have crossed

1092-588: The border into Bryansk Oblast, entering the village of Sluchovsk. While Russian authorities claimed that an attempted incursion was prevented, the Russian Volunteer Corps released video showing them inside the village. During the incursion, combat operations were allegedly carried out. On 22 May 2023, the RVC and the Freedom of Russia Legion launched a larger raid into Russia , this time in Grayvoronsky District , Belgorod Oblast ; videos that circulated online showed armed men who said they belonged to

1131-482: The cooperation the Civic Center functions as a ″kind of recruitment center″ and according to Anastasia Sergeyeva , the public face of the Civic Council, men were also then accepted directly from Russia. In order to join, volunteers fill out an online questionnaire or write to an encrypted mailbox. The Karelian Group , a battalion made up of separatists from Northwestern Russia of Finno-ugric origin, became

1170-534: The group is not a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine . Assessments of the ideology of this group vary from white nationalist to neo-Nazi . The RVC stated that they maintain right-wing conservative views and reject extremist labels. Nonetheless, their founder and leader is reportedly Denis Kapustin , a neo-Nazi who in 2019 was banned from the Schengen Area . The group claimed responsibility for

1209-663: The independence of Pomorie  [ ru ] . On 9 May 2023, the KKL became one of the founding members of the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, which advocates for implementation of "full sovereignty" for the native peoples of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union . In 2023 the Oleynik wing of the organization created a new organization named Suur-Suomen sotilat ( Finnish : Soldiers of Greater Finland ), aimed at dividing Russia into multiple Finno-Ugric republics,

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1248-401: The members told DW that their goal is a "true nation-state of Russians in the original Russian territories — taking into account the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as neighboring countries. We want to establish a state for Russians that lives in peace with all the nations that surround it." German authorities have cautioned that the RVC fighting for Ukraine serves as

1287-433: The movement doesn't pose a terrorist threat. Stop the Occupation of Karelia seeks the creation of an independent Karelian state for Karelians, Finns , Vepsians , Pomors , Samis , Kola Norwegians based on traditional Nordic values. The Stop the Occupation of Karelia movement considered Russians to be the occupiers of Karelia and support their involvement in the movement, which is why they refused to cooperate with

1326-618: The new organization has close ties with Far-right groups in Finland . In spring 2024, the movement was designated as an ' undesirable organization ' in Russia. In January 2023 the Karelian National Movement organized a volunteer battalion that became a part of the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine . Due to ideological differences on the position of the Russian Volunteer Corps and

1365-591: The news agency has cautioned that these statements have not been independently verified. The RVC maintains a "Free Cossack Squad" consisting of Cossack volunteers primarily from the Kuban region of southern Russia with the unit reportedly taking part in the fighting in Avdiivka and Svatove . Before beginning a cooperation with the Civic Council , the unit only accepted Russians who were already abroad. With

1404-652: The raid, saying they had seized weapons, an armoured personnel carrier, and taken prisoners before leaving Russian territory after 24 hours. He said that two RVC fighters were wounded and that Ukraine provided support only with medical supplies, fuel and food. Separately, the Freedom of Russia Legion said two of its fighters had been killed and 10 wounded. Karelian National Movement The Karelian National Movement ( Russian : Карельское национальное движение , romanized :  Karelskoye natsional'noye dvizheniye ; Finnish : Karjalan kansallinen liike ; Karelian : Karjalan kanšallin liikeh ), officially KKL-Stop

1443-529: The southeast of the Kola peninsula and the towns of Onega , Tikhvin and Vytegra and Kirishi . The Karelian National Movement is a member of Suur-Suomen sotilaat , a pan-nationalist pan-Finnic movement. The Karelian National Movement wishes for the restoration of Karelian independence and with the creation of comfortable living conditions for the indigenous peoples, the Karelians, Vepsians , Sami and

1482-415: Was dissolved as a solid entity after an internal conflict within the organization. On 15 November 2023, the Karelian National Movement of Oleynik demanded Kuznetsov to stop the conflict and to return control of the original Telegram channel , after that demand the Karelian National Liberation Movement of Kuznetsov was renamed back to Stop the Occupation of Karelia. The movement became active again after

1521-597: Was in a conflict with the Finnish Karjalan Liitto organization, which represents Karelian evacuees in Finland , due to their refusal to cooperate with the KKL to "return” Karelia . The movement tried to establish contacts with Karelian organizations in the Republic of Karelia. The KKL considers the Pomors one of the most related peoples, therefore they work closely with the organization "Pomoṙska Slobóda" (pomor. Помо́рьска Слобо́да), which advocates

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