SUMMARY
RDK (Russkiy dobrovolcheskiy korpus; Russian Volunteer Corps; RVC) was a Russian paramilitary organization stationed in Ukraine. Engaged in combat alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia within the International Legion, the group also conducted occasional raids into Russian territory. While operating under Ukrainian command within Ukraine, RDK is regarded as an integral part of the Ukrainian government. However, when conducting operations on Russian territory, the group is perceived as acting independently.
RDK was formed in August 2022 by Russian volunteers opposing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Many of the core members had previously served with the Azov Battalion, a far-right military unit within the Ukrainian National Guard, often linked to neo-Nazi and white supremacy ideologies. Denis Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin or White Rex, served as the group’s leader since its foundation in 2022. Kapustin was known for his involvement in the far-right movement and in football hooliganism.
In its first official statement, in August 2022, the group announced “We, Russian volunteers living on the territory of Ukraine, decided to take up arms and create a military formation - the "Russian Volunteer Corps" in order to defend their homeland, which sheltered us, together with our Ukrainian comrades, and then continue the fight against the criminal Putin regime and his henchmen. Subsequently, the group fought under Ukrainian command, participating in battles against Russian forces on Ukrainian territory.
In the group’s manifesto, it distances itself from Liberalism and Communism, instead suggesting that ethnicity is the most important factor in nation building: “The only alternative lies in the hands of people who are fully aware of the need to transition to an ethnic state, to meritocracy, and to foster intra-national solidarity. It is not enough to build a Russian national state - we also need to offer the population a new, ethnic view of the world.”
In May 2023, RDK, together with another Russian volunteer legion, LSR (Legion Svoboda Rossii; Freedom of Russia Legion;FRL), launched attacks into Russia, briefly controlling some villages in Belgorod oblast close to the Ukrainian border. RDK and LSR established close ties in August 2022, when attempts at creating a joint anti-Putin political wing took place in the Ukrainian city of Irpin. Although RDK later denied that they signed the Irpin declaration, it became clear that the two groups were working together. In March 2024, the Siberian Battalion joined LSR and RDK when new incursions into Russian territory were launched.
As part of the International Legion, RDK has enjoyed support, training, weapons, and ammunition from Ukraine.
