Dolina - (AFP) - Russian fighters are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk region (east) within a symbolic corps called "Freedom of Russia", but their exact number is top secret and their locations cannot be accessed and their rhetoric is elaborate.

When their spokesman, Cesar, meets with reporters, he usually leads them to the ruins of an Orthodox monastery in Dolina, in an area recaptured by the Ukrainian army in the fall.

The monastery's golden dome in ruins, the stucco lion in the rubble and religious icons scattered are a perfect example of "showing the world Putin's values".

Cesar, a handsome young man with blue eyes, utters phrases in Russian and sometimes in English. "I am not fighting the motherland, I am fighting Putin's regime and tyranny," he says. He adds, "I am not a traitor. I am a true Russian patriot."

At the beginning of the war, the Russian Fighters Corps formed a closed fist with the words "Freedom" and "Russia" on it, and it is part of the International Volunteer Group within the Ukrainian Army.

The Corps includes, according to Cesar, "hundreds" of Russians who, after receiving two months of training, have been deployed since May in the mining region of Donbass in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow is trying to completely occupy.

Corps elements are deployed in Bakhmut, one of the most hot spots on the eastern front, which has been the scene of fierce battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces for months.

They are mainly subordinate to the Artillery Corps, under the command of Ukrainian officers.

"They are enthusiastic and professional fighters, and they carry out their mission to the fullest," said a Ukrainian officer, who requested anonymity.

The recruits underwent many interviews, psychological tests and even a lie detector in anticipation of any hacking attempt.

On social networks - Telegram, Twitter, Instagram ... - the "Freedom of Russia" corps mainly publishes propaganda videos and claims to have received thousands of applications.

"They are taking part in the war, but their influence is not great because of their limited number," says Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov. "Their importance is political. It is good for Ukraine to be able to prove that there are Russians who support democracy and freedom and fight on the right side," he added.

It is difficult to find out exactly who the "Russian patriots" who make up the Legion and their motives are. For Tykhi, a worker who hails from Russia's auto capital Tolyatti, 800 kilometers southeast of Moscow, their motives are more personal than political.

This young man in his forties belongs to a mixed family, as his wife, whom he met in Russia, is Ukrainian.

"You wouldn't understand if we stayed in Russia," says the father-of-two, who was visiting family in Kiev when he started. They never returned to Russia and joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Army within the Legion.

He has cut off almost all contact with his family in Russia, which does not understand his choice. "They have been brainwashed. But I know they are worried about me."

He cut ties with his friends. "They are sitting on their couch in Russia and repeating, 'We will liberate Ukraine,'" he added sarcastically.
Without remorse, he says he considers Russian soldiers to be "enemies" and "will blow himself up with a grenade in order to be captured" by Moscow's forces.

Tychy applied for Ukrainian citizenship but would not be able to obtain it until the war was over. "At the moment I still have the enemy's passport," he explains.

Cesar, the spokesperson, for his part, hails from St. Petersburg, where he was a physiotherapist. He says he is politically motivated and presents himself as a "right-wing nationalist" who believes that Vladimir Putin's regime can only be overthrown by force.

He doesn't trust dissidents - "they are all puppets", he says - and believes his countrymen "don't want to see or hear anything".

Suddenly he gets excited, saying, "Russia is dying. Go to the villages and you will find drunks, drug addicts and criminals. The people are suffering."
He says, "It is the result of Putin's rule for twenty years. His system, government and deputies are nonsense. They are losers, corrupt and thieves who only think about making money and living happily. This is not a way to run a country."

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was the spark that prompted him to take his wife and four children and move to Kiev.

"They also live in fear of the bombing and the cold, but they support my choices," says Cesar. He speaks without hiding his face since his family is now "safe" in Ukraine.