“On the Eve of the Riot”
Girkin supporters gather in Moscow
December 24, 2023, 11:39 p.m
The military blogger Girkin wants to run against Putin from prison. The former separatist leader believes the Kremlin’s war policy in Ukraine is not tough enough. His supporters gather in Moscow and whisper something about “riot.”
Hundreds of supporters of imprisoned former separatist leader Igor Girkin supported his candidacy for next year’s Russian presidential election at a meeting in Moscow. Over 300 of them gathered in a hotel in the Russian capital to campaign for Girkin. Among them were many women, elderly people and military veterans. Some wore T-shirts with Girkin’s face and the slogan “Freedom for Strelkov,” his pseudonym.
Girkin became known as the commander of the separatists in the internationally unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic in 2014 during the Kremlin-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine. The military blogger supports the current Russian offensive in Ukraine, but strongly condemns its military strategy as not tough enough.
After a series of critical online posts about President Vladimir Putin, Girkin was arrested in July for “public calls for extremism” and his trial began behind closed doors in December. Although already in custody, Girkin announced his candidacy for the presidential election in mid-March on online networks in August. The reason he gave was that he considered himself “more competent in military matters than the incumbent president.”
“Campaign pursues different goal”
Mihail Filippov, who came to Moscow from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk specifically to take part in the support campaign, said he had confidence in Girkin’s military abilities. The 44-year-old electrician added that he is sure that Girkin will fulfill his role as Russian commander-in-chief perfectly and “will not be deceived.” Yevgeny Skripnik, a former comrade-in-arms of Girkin in Donbass, said many soldiers at the front supported the former separatist leader.
Even the organizers of the meeting do not believe that Girkin’s candidacy will be approved. The campaign pursues a completely “different goal,” said co-organizer Mikhail Polnykov: “On the eve of the uprising, the comrades in arms must unite.”