The Russian unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Republican Army decide to join forces

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST, 2022, 17:58

The Svoboda Rossii (Freedom of Russia) Legion unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Republican Army (NRA) have signed a declaration of cooperation and plan to create a joint political centre, which will be headed by ex-deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Ilya Ponomarev.

Source: Ukrinform

Details: A soldier with a call sign Caesar signed the declaration on behalf of the Svoboda Rossii (Freedom of Russia) Legion, and Ponomarev was authorised to do so by NRA defenders who act on the territory of Russia. The Russian Volunteer Corps plans to sign this document later.

"All our units, all our actions, which we conducted since the beginning of the war, were aimed at one thing - that this regime (in the Russian Federation - ed.) should fall, the empire should die, Ukraine should win, and this war should be finished. And this is our common goal," Ponomarev said.

According to him, each of them was doing his job in his area - some in the Russian Federation, some on the battlefield.

"And now we understand that we need to take the next step. We see how many misunderstandings, surprises, and questions are caused by the fact that, it turns out, there are Russians who are fighting side by side with Ukrainians, who are leading armed resistance and aim to go to the end. And that's why we understand that we need to create some kind of political representation, some common centre to explain our goals, show, tell, communicate both with state authorities and journalists," the politician said.

A fighter of the Svoboda Rossii (Freedom of Russia) legion with the call sign Caesar said: "We are very grateful to the Ukrainian people, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy for giving us the opportunity to wash away the shame with which the Russian people covered themselves with weapons in their hands. For us it is a great honour to stand next to, side by side with Ukrainians."

The signed declaration establishes the principles of activity of the Russian opposition, which is waging war with the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin on both sides of the front.

In particular, the signatories plan to implement a joint information policy, explaining their goals and objectives to  Russian society, campaigning among opponents of putinism.

During the event, a unified symbol of armed anti-Putin resistance was also announced. The signatories, while preserving the symbols of each of their units, adopt the white-blue-white flag as a symbol of joint struggle.

Previously: The unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Svoboda Rossii (Freedom of Russia) Legion was created in March 2022, it mainly includes Russians. In particular, it was reported that Igor Volobuev, the former vice president of Gazprombank, joined this formation.

On 21 August, Ilya Ponomarev, a former member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation (the Russian parliament), said that the so-called National Republican Army (NRA) has claimed responsibility for the murder of Darya Dugina, the daughter of "Putin’s ideologue" Aleksandr Dugin. He also read the NRA's "manifesto," which declares, among other things, that "Putin will be overthrown and destroyed."

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