Commander arrested in Finland
Russian neo-Nazi militia threatens to stop fighting
08/27/2023 2:46 p.m
The right-wing extremist militia Rusich is often used by the Kremlin for reconnaissance and sabotage operations. Now one of their leaders is in custody in Finland. The paramilitaries are asking the Kremlin to release their commander. Otherwise they want to stop the fight.
A group of far-right Russian paramilitaries is threatening to disobey orders in the Ukraine war because one of their commanders is imprisoned in Finland. The Russian government should force 36-year-old Jan Petrovsky to leave the country, the neo-Nazi militia Rusitsch is demanding. “If a country doesn’t protect its citizens, why should citizens protect the country?” it said on Telegram’s official Rusich channel.
The detained Petrovsky is suspected of having committed atrocities against Ukrainian soldiers during fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Ukraine is therefore demanding his extradition. The district court of Vantaa near Helsinki extended his detention on Friday, Finnish radio Yle reported.
Petrovsky was arrested in July for violating residence regulations. According to Russian paramilitaries, the well-known right-wing extremist has already been questioned by officials from the Ukrainian secret service SBU in the Finnish prison. The Russian embassy in Helsinki is said to have only dealt with the case when the detention review in Vantaa was pending.
Rusitsch’s paramilitaries are often used for reconnaissance and sabotage operations. They are said to be cooperating closely with Wagner’s private army. According to US information, the group has developed a reputation for “extreme brutality”. As the “Spiegel” reported with reference to a report by the Federal Intelligence Service, the group is known for “never taking prisoners”. Parts of the unit would therefore probably have fought in Syria. According to the US, Petrovsky became the group’s commander after his predecessor, Alexei Milchakov, was seriously wounded in combat.
Because of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Finland gave up its traditional neutrality and joined NATO. The entry of Russians was stopped with a few exceptions. As the Reuters news agency reports, it is unclear how Petrovsky was able to get to Finland despite the EU sanctions.