Russia’s Supreme Court declares the Freedom of Russia Legion, reportedly comprised of Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine, a ‘terrorist organization’

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has declared a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, known as the Freedom of Russia Legion, a “terrorist organization.”

Interfax reports that the court agreed with a suit brought by the Prosecutor General, and banned the legion’s activities on Russian territory.

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine comprised, allegedly, of volunteers from Russia. Its numbers are unknown. Its creation was first reported in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Case materials state that the legion was formed by order of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, and that its ultimate goal is “the creation of an army of citizens of the Russian Federation to eventually overthrow the current government and undermine the foundations of constitutional order, and to commit terrorist acts on the territory of Russia.”

Following the court’s decision, all participants in the Freedom of Russia Legion face potential criminal charges.