RDK Commander Alive: How the Operation of Russian Special Services Failed

The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine confirmed on January 1: the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis Kapustin, is alive. The information about his death, which appeared on December 27 after a drone strike in the Zaporizhzhia direction, was not confirmed. Reports of his “elimination” turned out to be part of a more complex story.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, rumors of Kapustin’s death were launched as part of a multi-step operation. Russian special services indeed attempted to organize his elimination. A sum of half a million dollars was offered for the elimination of the RVC commander.

The operation, overseen by the GUR of Ukraine, lasted more than a month. Its logic was structured not only to prevent the assassination but also to identify specific perpetrators and contacts within Russian structures. As a result, individuals directly preparing the crime were identified.

Ukrainian intelligence emphasizes: it was not a random leak, but a controlled process that allowed the exposure of the enemy’s channels and methods of operation. For the GUR, this was a rare opportunity to play ahead.

The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, contacted Denis Kapustin via video link and publicly congratulated him on the operation’s completion without losses. He separately noted the symbolic nature of the situation: the announced reward for the “elimination” effectively turned into a resource for continuing Ukraine’s struggle.

Kapustin himself confirmed that he is safe and intends to return to fulfilling tasks. He stated his readiness to continue commanding the corps and participating in further operations.

Kapustin’s biography has long attracted the interest of special services and media. He was born on March 6, 1984, in Moscow, but moved with his parents to Germany as a child. There, he became involved in far-right subcultures, gained fame among football fans, and participated in organizing mixed martial arts tournaments.

In 2019, German authorities annulled his permanent residence permit, and entry into the Schengen zone countries was closed. After the start of the full-scale war, Kapustin moved to Ukraine, where he became one of the founders of the Russian Volunteer Corps.

The RVC unites Russian volunteers opposing Vladimir Putin’s regime. The unit operates in coordination with Ukrainian intelligence and declares its goal to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within the 1991 borders, as well as to dismantle the current government in Russia.

The corps participated in combat operations and raids, including on Russian territory. This made Kapustin one of the priority targets for Russian special services and a constant focus of international observers.

Russian authorities have in absentia recognized him as a terrorist and extremist, sentencing him to two life terms. Kapustin himself calls these accusations part of a propaganda war and emphasizes that his actions are directed against a repressive state, not against the civilian population.

The story of the RVC commander’s “death” showed how much information warfare has become part of real combat operations. And how such operations unfold behind the scenes of the front remains an important topic for understanding the conflict — as regularly written by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.