Ukraine announces a unit of Russian defectors

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 09 Aug 2022 by Alex Teddy
Kyiv is keen to let the media know that the Ukrainian Army has recruited Russian dissidents. Some of them are Prisoners of War who have been allowed to change sides. They are called the Freedom of Russia Legion. Some of them traveled to Ukraine via third countries. The number of soldiers in the Freedom of Russia Legion is classified. Some have estimated it as up to 1,000. The names and faces of its members have not been revealed. They do this to prevent vengeance being exacted on their families. Some suspect that it is tiny. There is no proof that its members really are Russians. Is it simply psychological warfare?The Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) uses an anti-war flag. It has a manifesto vowing to rid Russia of ''the Putin dictatorship.'' FRL has a social media presence with 94,000 subscribers. Igor Volubulev is one of the few known FRL members. He is a former executive in Gazprombank. The FRL has fought in some battles in Donbas. It is unclear if the FRL operates independently or its soldiers are integrated into Ukrainian units. There is, of course, the risk that FRL soldiers are double agents.Russia suggests that FRL is a hoax and that Ukrainians in masks are pretending to be Russians. But the Russian media has taken it seriously enough to bother discrediting it. There is the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine (ILDU). It has Belarusians, Georgians, Britons, Taiwanese, Moroccans and other nationalities in its ranks.Initially there were more volunteers for ILDU than the Ukrainians could arm. Ukraine has broadcast videos of Russian POWs repudiating Putin. At the moment FRL, even if it has 1,000 troops is not a significant factor. Russia has made its treas...

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