"Congratulations on your return to life": Ukraine's staged scene about the death of a Russian fighter opposed to Putin

BarcelonaDenis Kapustin is one of the leading figures of the Russian far right and an outspoken opponent of Vladimir Putin's government. Founder of the ultranationalist and conservative Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), he is fighting on the Ukrainian front with troops from Kyiv and, therefore, against the Kremlin's forces. In recent days, Kapustin, also known as White RexHe has risen again. No miracle has occurred. His death was only real in the eyes of Russia, as it was part of an operation. fake from Kyiv to unmask several Russian agents infiltrated in Ukraine. And the move worked so well for Kyiv that they even collected a reward Moscow offered for Kapustin's assassination.

On December 27, in a statement, the RDK reported him dead on the Zaporizhia front in eastern Ukraine. However, this Thursday the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that it had all been a setup, and that Kapustin was very much alive. On social media, they welcomed him back: "Congratulations on your return to life," they said. The head of intelligence at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Kirill BudanovIn a video conference, Ukraine demonstrated that the Russian opposition figure was still alive.

Russia had been trying to kill Kapustin from afar for some time. They used a common method: contacting people willing to do it in exchange for a financial reward. This is where Kyiv's deception came in. People connected to Ukraine's Timur Special Unit misled Kremlin contacts into believing they were contacting pro-Russian citizens willing to carry out these tasks. In the conversations, Moscow offered €426,000 for Kapustin's assassination, on the condition that the announcement of his death be made public as proof. Moscow believed Kapustin had been killed in Zaporizhia, and now Kyiv claims to have received the amount Russia offered. "I am glad that the money intended for his assassination has been used to support our struggle," Budanov stated. The operation also served to identify several members of the Russian special services.

Sentenced for Nazism

Despite opposing Putin's regime, Kapustin's ultraconservative ideology gives him more in common with the Russian president than might initially appear. Both are staunchly opposed to movements such as feminism and same-sex marriage. Kapustin is also openly racist, as evidenced by the fact that only Slavic people are allowed to fight in the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he founded. Following a court ruling in Germany, Kapustin is barred from entering the European Union, as he is accused of promoting neo-Nazi groups. Since 2017, this Putin opponent has resided in Ukraine. Now, his combat unit, with which he has carried out raids in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, also includes former soldiers of the Wagner Group and former agents of the Russian FSB, the successor to the former KGB of the USSR.