Prosecutor General seeks to outlaw Freedom of Russia Legion as terrorist organization

Russia’s Prosecutor General is seeking to designate the Freedom of Russia Legion as a terrorist organization to be outlawed in Russia.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Russian authority claims that “the legion was created in Ukraine for the purpose of undermining the constitutional foundations of the Russian Federation and overthrowing the country’s government, by means including terrorist acts.”

The Freedom of Russia is a Ukrainian military formation created shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The exact number of fighters in the legion is unknown, but it’s believed to enlist volunteers from Russia.

Among those who joined the legion is the former Gazprombank VP Igor Volobuyev, who left Russia shortly after the start of the invasion. Russia’s law enforcement officials believe that the Russian politician Ilya Ponomarev, who left the country after its annexation of Crimea, provided consulting help to the formation.

On January 30, Radio Svoboda interviewed two Freedom of Russia fighters, who said that their goal is to “defend Ukraine and then return to Russia bearing weapons.”