The mastermind behind the alleged "sabotage action" by Ukrainian fighters in a Russian village is quickly identified: Denis Kapustin. The Russian has a German past and says he is fighting against Putin. Ukraine distances itself from the right-wing extremist.
In connection with the alleged "sabotage action" by Ukrainian fighters in a Russian village near the border, this man appears: Denis Kapustin. He appears to be the leader of the group secretly entering Russian territory on Thursday. In a video he addresses the Russian population and calls on them to fight against the Kremlin. Who is the man?
Denis Kapustin was born in Moscow. In 2001 his family moved to Germany, allegedly as Jewish quota refugees. He grew up in Cologne, which is why he also speaks German. According to research by "ZDF", he rose to become one of the leading figures in the European neo-Nazi scene in the 2010s. In 2008 he founded the fashion label "White Rex", which is very popular with hooligans and neo-Nazis. Kapustin also uses "White Rex" as a nickname for himself. However, he also calls himself "Nikitin" for short. He attended events, such as a right-wing rock concert in Themar, Thuringia, and organized numerous martial arts events, such as the "Battle of the Nibelungs", which German authorities have repeatedly been able to prevent since 2019.
In 2019, Germany expelled Kapustin due to his activities. According to research by "Spiegel", he has been living in Ukraine since 2018. Since then, he is said to have been banned from entering the Schengen area for a period of ten years. According to unconfirmed claims on Twitter, he is wanted in Russia. But he is also said to have legal difficulties in Ukraine, as he is said to have been involved in drug trafficking there. That is not confirmed either. In August 2022, around six months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he is said to have founded the Russian Volunteer Corps to fight against the Russian invaders from now on. There is no concrete information about the number of fighters, they vary between a dozen and 50. Some of the fighters are said to have been living in Ukraine for some time. So far there is no knowledge of participation in combat operations, the sabotage action alleged by Russia in the Russian village of Lyubentschane is Kapustin's first major media appearance.
In an interview with the ZDF "heute" journal, military expert Gustav Gressel describes the fighters as "do-it-yourself soldiers" who live off organized crime and donations and need spectacular campaigns to collect more donations. Crossing the Russian border would be such a "PR coup," according to Gressel.
Kapustin is a leading European right-wing extremist who is said to reject the liberal western type of state, writes the "ZDF" in an analysis. He differs from the right-wing extremists, who are also numerous in Russia, and is said to have even fought them in Donbass. He is inspired by the idea of white supremacy (white supremacy) and also rises above non-white ethnic groups within Russia. Kapustin is said to have said: "In my home country they try to mix everything up and call it a political nation of Russians." According to "ZDF", the LGBTQ community and the left are also among his enemy images.
Although some of Kapustin's convictions at least overlap with those of numerous Russian politicians, including Putin's, he rejects the Kremlin boss and his followers, according to "Spiegel". Canadian right-wing extremism expert Michael Colborne explained that Kapustin is opposed to Putin, but only because he wants to replace him with someone even worse. There are claims on Twitter that Kapustin envisages a Russia like in the days of the Tsar, so he wants to revive his bloodline. But the Putin regime would have to fall for this to happen, which is why he is fighting it and, as happened in the video clip, is calling on the Russian people to do the same.
Ukraine has no allegiance to him and his Russian Volunteer Corps. The fighters are not part of the Ukrainian territorial defense. Kapustin himself once claimed in an interview with a scene portal that he had to get permission from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in order to be able to fight alongside the Ukrainian troops. However, this claim is not proven. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that the Ukrainian military leadership at least tolerates his activities because it harms Putin and his war of aggression. Kiev has officially denied any involvement in the alleged sabotage operation. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak claimed that this was a provocation by Russia.
