Contained in the VIP brigade of bold Russian officers

Istanbul – Over the previous three years, many younger individuals in Russia have accomplished the whole lot that’s attainable AVOID be despatched to battle within the battle in opposition to Ukraine.

However some Russians are getting ready with enthusiasm to serve what the president Vladimir Putin He has known as the battle for the survival of his nation, becoming a member of a wood brigade which provides brief durations away from combating.

Russian bloggers have described unity, cascade, as a “prerogative for officers”.

Positioned in a rustic that isn’t found in part of Ukrainian occupied by Russia, it gives knowledgeable impulse for political -mentality recruits, in response to Kremlin observers and army analysts who’ve described the cascade as a “VIP unit“

Tons of of hundreds of Russian males have been known as to battle in Ukraine since 2022 and have remained in front Whereas the horrible variety of deaths will increase day-to-day.

Nevertheless, cascade attitudes are often brief.

And since it’s a drone unit away, the possibilities of being in danger are comparatively low, in response to analysts.

Officers appointed within the unit usually stay between three and eight months, to take many alternatives to take photographs with automated rifles and return to their work in Russia with a welcome from the hero, in response to quite a few social networks wherein recruits have documented their placements and tales collected by army analysts.

“Cascade registration permits Russian elite figures AVOID The authorized necessities of the Russian army service assured and doubtlessly acquire the Prophet’s favor, ”the UK Ministry of Protection mentioned final yr.

Greater than 270 pro-Mremlin regional MPs and 200 members of the Russian Russian get together youth have served within the Russian military in Ukraine, in response to Andrei Turchak, president of the get together.

No less than six parliaments, dozens of recent pro-Mremlin activists and even A cosmonaut They’ve made it within the cascade.

In November, 12 senior members of the Youth Youth Wing in St. Petersburg joined the cascade on the identical day.

Amongst them was Alexander Malikov, who shortly up to date the picture of his profile on social networks, which exhibits a nicely -shaved man, with sun shades and holding an automated rifle, standing in entrance of a shredded home windows and smoking.

Just some months in the past, Malikov was documenting his life as a member of the native council in St. Petersburg, giving flowers to a 103 -year -old resident or amassing particles in a forest.

In a sequence of messages with New York OccasionsMalikov described his resolution to register as a Patriotic activity, However he refused to explain his function within the cascade.

“Right here I proceed to do the identical factor I’ve accomplished for a few years:

Help my nation and get an lively function the place they want me, ”he mentioned.

Dmitry Sablin, an extended member of the Russian Parliament, has been in control of Kascad for the reason that fall of 2022 after he joined a Ukrainian separatist brigade.

In 2023, Sablin, a camouflage gown, launched a cascade crew for Russian journalists on Channel.

The pictures confirmed two troopers by launching a fighter drone from one area and different monitoring drone On a pc display screen from a bunker.

Cascade has no less than 54 crews working 10 kinds of recognition and fight drones alongside the entrance line, Sablin mentioned.

Stays within the cascade have been helpful for the competitions of a few of their veterans.

Yevgeny Pervyshov was a low -rise MP when he joined Kascad in November 2022.

After a yr within the Brigade, he returned to Moscow and enrolled in “Time Heroes”, a program that seeks to kind a technology of battle -torn officers.

Solely Ukrainian veterans might be postulated.

Putin Pa pervyshov at a tv assembly and supplied him a place.

In November, Pervyshov grew to become the primary veteran of the Ukrainian Conflict to be named governor.

Lena Kolesnikova, 55 -year -old Cheliábinsk Regional MP, joined Kascad in February 2024, after her husband, deputy, enrolled in brigades.

His service was uncommon; Only a few girls be part of the Russian military.

Throughout her keep in Ukraine, the mom of three youngsters up to date her compressed telegram account, publishing selfies in such locations as a forest cleansing or close to a site visitors sign proven by town of Mariupol, occupied by Russia.

Eight months later, in a social media publication, Kolesnikova returned to his workplace, in search of a delay at work.

A couple of weeks later, he obtained a medal for his service within the area of ZaporOne of many Ukrainian areas partly occupied by Russia.

Final month, Russia Unida introduced that Kolesnikova would search a celebration appointment for parliament this month, praising his expertise within the battle space as “significantly useful”.

His candidacy might be strengthened by the get together’s resolution to present a 25% For the overall votes of the Ukraine battle veterans in search of to be named.

Abbas Galllyamov, a former Kremlin speech author, became a political guide, mentioned officers utilizing cascade as a springboard is actually benefiting from Putin’s name to advertise veterans in management roles.

Putin’s objective is to point out a patriotic hearth that crosses society from high to backside, Galllyamov mentioned.

However, “If we analyze any battle veteran that has been promoted in an essential place, there isn’t a particular person. There’s somebody who went to battle, figuring out completely that a job was ready for him. “

The dwelling situations of those that serve in cascade are very totally different from these of the primary line models, in response to the battle intelligence crew, a analysis group that makes use of free entry supplies to review the Russian military.

SHOW Are often a lot safer.

Recognition models are often parked about twelve kilometers from the primary, protected from brief -range artillery. Officers and troopers can keep in residences or accommodations, as an alternative of trenches or shelters.

It’s not identified for certain what number of members of the cascade have died within the battle.

Final yr, the Brigade opened within the heart of Moscow a monument in honor of its fallen fighters in Ukraine, with 18 registered names, a determine a lot decrease than many of the registered fight models.

With the beginning of partial mobilization within the fall of 2022, the Russian Ministry of Protection positioned all troopers in Ukraine below indefinite contracts.

Not one of the Cascad members contacted by the point had been prepared to clarify how they’d been capable of go away the unit after serving for brief durations, in a noticeable violation of the Ministry of Protection rules.

Lengthy placements in entrance of hundreds of peculiar Russians known as in the course of the 2022 mobilization have precipitated a small protest motion in Russia, although query Conflict remains to be against the law.

Some girls of mobilized males made headquarters in entrance of the headquarters of the Russian Ministry of Protection and arranged small demonstrations to protest.

A lady from a Moscow outskirts who attended the protests mentioned her husband was recruited in 2022 and that she had fought on the entrance since then.

He demanded that his identify be revealed for worry of revenge by the authorities.

“They’re like slaves,” he mentioned in a textual content message.

“They’re trapped within the battle zone eternally, and any try to save lots of will take them to jail.”

C.2025 New York Occasions Firm