“Irpin Declaration” on the Cooperation of the Russian opposition against Putin’s regime

The “Freedom of Russia” Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDC) and the National Republican Army (NRA) jointly signed a Declaration on Cooperation on August 31 in the city of Irpin (Kyiv region).

A joint Political Center was also created with the aim of representing their interests before the state authorities of different countries and organizing a common information policy, headed by the Russian politician Ilya Ponomaryev.

The Irpin Declaration establishes the principles of Russian armed opposition against the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin on both sides of the front. It was signed at the site of fierce battles between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Putin’s occupiers.

“The countdown to the end of Putin’s regime has begun, and we will end it on both sides of the front,” Ponomaryev emphasized.

The number of Legion and RDC fighters is not disclosed for security purposes, although there are believed to be more than 1,000 of them.

The Legion “Freedom of Russia” and the NRA emphasized that they will organize armed resistance to Putin’s fascism and conduct an information campaign in the Russian community to galvanize opponents of Putinism. A common symbol of the struggle was also adopted, in the form of a white-blue-white flag.

About the signatories

The Legion “Freedom of Russia” was formed in March 2022. A military unit that fights together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Russian army, it consists of Russian citizens who lived in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion by Russian forces, as well as Russian soldiers who surrendered. All fighters go through a comprehensive procedure to check their identity and intentions. Today, there are two battalions.

The NRA – a partisan network on the territory of the Russian Federation – took responsibility for the death of Daria Dugina, the daughter of the ideologist of Russian fascism Alexandr Dugin. Representatives emphasized that they also planned to remove Dugin himself.

In addition, the NRA is involved in arson activity against Russian military registration and enlistment services, against the cars of Russian military “volunteers,” as well as acts of railroad sabotage. Ponomarev signed the document on behalf of NRA fighters.

The Russian volunteer corps consists of a section of Russian volunteers with right-wing views.  It was formed in August 2022 among people who have been fighting for Ukraine since 2014 as part of units such as “Azov” and the “Right Sector”. Currently, the fighters of the RDC are fighting as part of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Newly arrived fighters are thoroughly checked via a lie detector and military training. Among them are volunteers and former prisoners of war. Prisoners of war are also thoroughly checked for war crimes.

After the signing of the document, a press conference was held, attended by Ponamaryev, Russian journalist and editor-in-chief of the website “After Tomorrow” Roman Popkov, Ukrainian politician and writer-futurist Oleksiy Tolkachev, leader of the Russian international movement “Speak Loudly” Andrey Sidelnikov, and representatives of the RDC. In addition, Putin’s former adviser Andriy Illarionov was connected online.

The importance of the event for society and further plans for cooperation were discussed at the conference. The single goal is defined as “the defeat of the Russian army in Ukraine, the liberation of Donbas and Crimea, as well as the destruction of the Putin regime and its remnants.”

The activists want to hold a trial of top officials, release political prisoners, install a transitional administration and hold free democratic elections.