The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) said that unknown individuals detained the corpsʼ deputy commander for combat work Stepan Kaplunov. The corps claims that they immediately contacted the Main Intelligence Directorate (known as GUR), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the police.
This is stated in their statement on their Telegram page.
UPD at 14:49: The head of the RDK headquarters Oleksandr Fortuna said in a comment to Suspilne that the statement was his own initiative, as he was worried about the fate of his comrade. The corps said that they did not approve of Fortunaʼs decision. They called for waiting for an official statement from the commander of the "Tymur special unit" and the competent authorities.
RDK currently has no information about Kaplunovʼs whereabouts or what charges he has been charged with. They say ombudsmen are involved in the situation, and lawyers have sent relevant requests.
Babel reached out to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the National Police, and the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office for comment. At the time of publication, we had not received a response.
- The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) is a military formation of Russian volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russia, subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It was created in August 2022. Together with another formation of Russian volunteers, "Freedom of Russia", in 2023 they organized regular raids in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.
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