Who are the soldiers behind the Free Russia Legion?

The fighters who claimed responsibility for a rare attack just across the Ukrainian border in Russia’s Belgorod region are members of a volunteer unit made up of Russian citizens who fought with Ukrainian forces against their own country.

The Free Russia Legion, as the volunteer unit is called, was formed last August to allow Russians opposed to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine to take up arms and fight alongside the Ukrainians. The fighting by these anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers is largely confined to the front lines in Ukraine, largely in and around Bakhmut.

That changed this week, when the group announced that its fighters, along with Russians from another group called the Russian Volunteer Corps, had crossed the border and “liberated” several settlements in Russia. On Tuesday, the Free Russia Legion said fighting in the Belgorod region continued, although the Russian defense ministry said all fighters who had not been killed had been pushed back to Ukraine.

“This is the legion’s first operation on Russian territory and in the future the scope of our actions will only increase,” a Russian fighter, who goes by the call sign Caesar and took part in the operation, said in a text message.

Caesar, who is 50 and a soldier with the Free Russia Legion, responded to questions via a press officer of the group. The Russian Volunteer Corps, which claimed to have joined the Free Russia Legion in this week’s operation, took responsibility for an earlier, more limited incursion into Russia in March.

The involvement of the Ukrainian army in the operation is not clear. The Free Russian Legion operates under the umbrella of the Ukrainian International Legion, a force that includes units made up of American and British volunteers, as well as Belarusians, Georgians, and others. It is overseen by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and commanded by Ukrainian officers.

A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal details about the mission in Russia, said the Ukrainian military was largely acting in a support role, protecting the Ukrainian border in the area in case of a Russian counter-attack. No Ukrainian fighters entered Russian territory, the official said.

There were losses among the units participating in the operation, the official said, but not enough to affect their combat readiness. The official declined to provide further details.

Until recently, the Free Russia Legion had received little attention, partly to protect the soldiers and their families from Russian reprisals, but also because of Ukraine’s unwillingness to pay attention to the exploits of soldiers whose homeland had killed so many Ukrainians.

Several hundred Russians have been deployed to the front lines in eastern Ukraine, officials said, but the Ukrainian military has not disclosed exactly how many Russians are fighting on the Ukrainian side.

The motivations of Russians fighting for Ukraine vary. In interviews earlier this year, some said they were already living in Ukraine when the war started and felt the need to defend their adopted homeland. Others, often with no military experience, went to Ukraine after the outbreak of war and enlisted to fight.

Taking part is not easy, the Russian soldiers said. After filling out a detailed application, they undergo several rounds of background checks and take a polygraph. There is great distrust among Ukrainians. There have been several attempts by Russian intelligence agencies to infiltrate the Free Russia Legion, Ukrainian officials said.

A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the fighters had been pushed back and dozens had been killed.

But Caesar said fighting continued all day Tuesday and a Russian infantry company had been wiped out. His claims could not be independently confirmed. The senior Ukrainian official said the military was awaiting confirmation, including video from drones, of the fate of the Russian infantry company.

“The aim of the operation that started yesterday was the establishment of a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine, the elimination of fighters serving the Putin regime and a demonstration to the people of Russia that it is possible to create resistance and fight against the Putin regime. within Russia,” wrote Caesar. “These goals have been successfully achieved.”