Fighting against Putin’s regime: what is known about the Legion of Freedom of Russia
On May 22, 2023, volunteers of the Freedom of Russia Legion recorded a video message to their citizens to wake up to the Kremlin’s dictatorship and fight for a Russia free of Putin.
The legion volunteers also announced that they were returning home and urged residents of the border regions not to resist or be afraid of them.
The Freedom of Russia Legion then stated that their units and the Russian Volunteer Corps had allegedly already occupied the village of Kozynka in the Belgorod region, and that advanced units were entering Hraivoron.
On September 28, it became known that the Freedom of Russia Legion fighters were again conducting an operation in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.
Fakty ICTV found out what is known about the Freedom of Russia volunteer legion, when it was formed and what tasks are assigned to the legion’s fighters.
What is known about the Freedom of Russia Legion
According to publicly available information, the Freedom of Russia Legion is a Russian legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It was formed in March 2022 to protect Ukraine from Russian invasion during a full-scale war. The second such unit is the Russian Volunteer Corps, created in August 2022.
Svoboda Rossii belongs to the International Legion of the Ukrainian Army.
The legion includes former members of the Russian Armed Forces and other Russians. According to some sources, there are also Belarusians in the legion who have no experience of serving in regular troops.
People from different countries also come to the Legion to fight against Putin’s regime.
Ideology and symbolism
Legion volunteers use a white, blue and white flag on their chevrons instead of the official white, blue and red flag of the Russian Federation.
According to the fighters themselves, the white, blue and white flag is the flag of a free Russia.
According to members of the association, the Freedom Legion of Russia was created to fight Putin’s regime.
As for the salaries of the legion’s fighters, one of the volunteers said in an interview on the Ukrainian YouTube channel PRESSING that they receive food, salaries, and weapons from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
– “Freedom of Russia is part of the International Legion of the TRO of Ukraine, which in turn is subordinated to the GUR. That’s why we receive the necessary food and money,” added the legion volunteer.
History of the Freedom of Russia Legion
Legion of Freedom of Russia
The legion was founded on March 11, 2022. When the Russian army soldiers voluntarily went over to the side of Ukraine, a company of the legion (more than 100 people) was formed.
According to the company commander, on February 27, with the help of SBU officers, they defected to the Ukrainian side to protect Ukrainians from real fascists.
The first volunteers of the Legion began individual training at the end of March 2022. In particular, the Legion’s personnel, under the guidance of instructors from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, studied the features of the Swedish-British short-range portable anti-tank guided missile NLAW.
What is known about the fighters and special tasks of the Russian Freedom Legion
There is no such information in the public domain, it is classified. Since most of the Legion’s fighters are former members of the Russian Armed Forces, they do not disclose personal information for their own safety.
Photo: Legion of Freedom of Russia
