Ukraine orchestrated a fake hit on one of Russia's enemies, who has fought alongside Ukrainian forces, tricking the Kremlin into paying out a $500,000 bounty Kyiv used to fund its war effort.
The subject of the supposed Dec. 27 assassination was Denis Kapustin, also known by his pseudonym ‘White Rex,’ leader of the right-wing Russian Volunteer Corps – a group fighting for the overthrow of Vladimir Putin, Metro UK reported.
However, Kapustin is alive, despite confirmation from the Ukrainian Armed Forces last week that he was killed by an FPV drone in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
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"We will definitely avenge you, Denis. Your legacy lives on," the RVC group wrote on Telegram last week.
On Thursday, the Defence (sic) Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) confirmed that this was part of a special operation to save Kapustin’s life – and in the process earn $500,000.
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"Welcome back to life," HUR chief General Kyrylo Budanov, who heads Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said while congratulating Kapustin and his team on a successful intelligence operation, News.com.au, an Australian news website, reported.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kapustin founded the RVC to fight alongside the Ukrainian army.
The group, which was banned in Russia as a terrorist organization, was known for staging cross-border attacks in Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions. He had twice been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by kangaroo courts in Russia, The Sun reported.
In March 2024, the RVC stormed into Russia and clashed with security forces before capturing Russian soldiers.
Ukraine and Russian are in the middle of peace talks being mediated by President Donald Trump. The deal is close, but Ukraine leaders have said the sticking point remains the issue of disputed territories.
