A military court in Moscow has sentenced Denis Kapustin, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) fighting on the side of Ukraine, to life imprisonment in a special regime colony. Kapustin was found guilty on charges of treason, attempted terrorist attacks, teaching terrorist activities, creating a terrorist community, and purchasing explosives.
The trial was conducted behind closed doors, with journalists learning about it accidentally. The verdict announcement, which was supposed to be public, didn’t allow journalists to attend.
In April 2023, Kapustin was arrested in absentia for his alleged involvement in a March attack on villages in the Bryansk region, for which the RDK claimed responsibility. Following the attack, Kapustin was added to Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists, triggering a federally wanted status.
The RDK conducted additional raids into Russian border regions and attacked a military airfield in the Kursk region with drones. These raids resulted in casualties among Russian military personnel.
The Russian Volunteer Corps recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, is an armed formation allegedly composed exclusively of Russian citizens fighting on Ukraine’s side with the goal of liberating their land from the Putin regime.
