The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) came to prominence in March 2023, taking part in a cross-border raid in Russia’s western Bryansk region. The group’s leader is known as Denis Kapustin or Denis Nikitin, a Russian nationalist, who a Ukrainian investigative website alleged had links to neo-Nazi groups. Mr Nikitin has described himself as a patriot with “traditionalist” views and the RDK accuses Russia’s mainstream opposition of sitting on the fence in the Ukraine war.
