Not everyone is on board: some Wagner fighters who stormed Bakhmut have switched sides to join the Defense Forces.

Russians who were part of the RF Armed Forces or served as mercenaries in the "Wagner" PMC have successfully integrated into the Ukrainian Defense Forces and are fighting against the aggressor nation. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are questioning the involvement of former Russian soldiers who created a "meat grinder" during the occupation of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. The commander of the "Russian Volunteer Corps" (RDK), Denis Nikitin (Denis Kapustin), with the call sign White Rex, discussed the activities of the RDK and the reactions to its fighters during a press conference, as reported by the UNIAN agency.

Nikitin claimed the experiment of "integration" of Russian prisoners of war—"Wagner" fighters or simply RF Armed Forces soldiers—into the Ukrainian Defense Forces has been successful. Some of these defectors have received awards from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, said the RDK commander. He acknowledged that some Ukrainians are uncomfortable with this situation, as they remember the battles with the "Wagner" PMC in Bakhmut.

"Not everyone in Ukrainian society is satisfied. We have former fighters from the 'Wagner' PMC, and for many in Ukraine, this is simply a red rag to a bull, especially after the Bakhmut meat grinder," said Nikitin.

According to the commander, he is approached by commanders who have captured prisoners, or by soldiers of the enemy who are ready to switch to the Ukrainian side, and then the RDK handles the "sorting and naturalization." Eight Russians fighting against the RF were present in the hall during the press conference, as evidenced by footage from the event.

In a segment of the press conference published by the "News. Live" channel, more details of White Rex's speech can be found. Among other things, he spoke about RF Armed Forces tanks destroying civilian homes in the Kursk region and the failure of Kremlin propaganda. The military also reported that 11 fighters from his unit have died during the entire invasion: he cannot name them due to safety concerns for their families.

War of the RF and the Russian Volunteer Corps

It should be noted that the "Russian Volunteer Corps" is a unit within the Defense Forces: it is formed from captured RF Armed Forces soldiers who decided to fight on the side of the Ukrainians. Together with other Russians who are part of the "Freedom of Russia Legion," the fighters participated in breakthroughs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Bryansk region and near Belgorod, which occurred, for example, from spring to autumn 2023. There were also battles in the area of Tetkino in the Kursk region in March 2024: according to OSINT analysts, nearly 30 RF Armed Forces soldiers were captured.

We remind you that on December 20, there was an airstrike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the headquarters of the 155th Marine Brigade of the RF Armed Forces in the city of Rylsk, Kursk region. Meanwhile, on December 24, press officer of the 80th Separate Air Assault Galician Brigade, Pyotr Haidashchuk, reported the capture of a Russian who fought alongside soldiers from North Korea.