Top anti-Putin Russian commander killed fighting for Ukraine

One of the most prominent anti-Kremlin Russians fighting on Ukraine's side was killed during a combat mission in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southern Ukraine, the Russian Volunteer Corps militia reported on Dec. 27.

Denis Kapustin, also known by his nom de guerre "White Rex," led the right-wing Russian Volunteer Corps until he was killed by an FPV drone on the southern front, according to preliminary reports. More details are expected later.

"We will definitely take revenge, Denis," the Russian Volunteer Corps wrote on their Telegram channel. "Your legacy lives on."

Kapustin was a known far-right activist, banned from the Schengen area for his neo-Nazi views and involvement in far-right football hooliganism. His family moved from Moscow to Germany when Kapustin was 17. He relocated to Ukraine in 2017.

In a 2023 interview, Kapustin admitted he was right-wing but disputed the "neo-Nazi" label, saying "you will never find me raising my hand in a Hitler sign."

In the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion, he helped set up the first units of what would later become Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade and Third Army Corps.

"We together confronted the common enemy in the battle for Kyiv," the Third Army Corps wrote on Telegram on Dec. 27.

"He perceived (Ukraine) as a place of real resistance and freedom."

Kapustin then set up the Russian Volunteer Corps in August 2022 with the end goal of overthrowing Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group has spoken against Putin’s regime of “lies, corruption, and lawlessness.”

"Only our victory will bring peace to Russia! As long as Putin and his gang of thieves sit in the Kremlin, the war will continue," the militia wrote on its website.

The militia made headlines in 2023 and 2024 for their cross-border incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk oblasts, capturing dozens of Russian soldiers in the process. Kyiv has said that while they are part of Ukrainian defense and security forces, their incursions into Russia were not taking place under Kyiv's orders.

The Ukrainian-equipped militia has fought alongside other anti-Kremlin Russian groups, like the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion. Following their cross-border attacks in March 2024, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, noted that the groups were "becoming a force."