How Russian Cossacks are fighting against Putin's army.

“Unarmed protests will lead nowhere; I advocate for real war”

In Russia, they are labeled as terrorists, but they refer to themselves as "Cossacks" and fight alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Putin regime.

“My name is Roman, my call sign is Kuban. I have been in Ukraine for almost two years. Originally from Kuban, I am a fighter in the Free Cossack Detachment of the RDK. We took up arms to fight alongside Ukraine against the Kremlin regime for the freedom of Don, Kuban, and other Cossack lands,” shares a volunteer from Russia.

Since his teenage years in Kuban, he became interested in history and politics.

“When I was about 16, I met some Cossacks who expressed their discontent with the authorities. However, this [union of Kuban Cossacks] was merely a structure that attracted youth to control them and prevent any unnecessary actions. I learned nothing interesting there. It was just old men gathering in the Cossack headquarters, drinking and smoking,” says Roman.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Roman, as a Cossack, was ordered to disperse a local anti-war rally. After he refused, the Cossacks reported him to the FSB. He faced issues at college, and after several interrogations by the security services, he decided to leave Russia.

“When I left, I made a firm decision that I wanted to fight. I do not want to live abroad or in exile; that does not interest me. I am not interested in life within some Russian opposition community. I have no interest in all these 'tea gatherings against Putin.' I know that they lead nowhere, just like unarmed protests. I advocate for real war, real actions. And that’s why I’m here,” explained the fighter from the Free Cossack Detachment of the RDK.

Roman realized he wanted to join the “Russian Volunteer Corps,” specifically the Free Cossack Detachment, which was officially formed in early 2024.

“My motivation is the fight against the RF regime, which can only be achieved through the liberation of Ukrainian territory. In other words, it’s a puzzle that leads to the collapse of the Russian Federation. Our ideology, Cossack nationalism, is the ideology of liberation and the struggle for the Cossack nation, as our lands are currently occupied by the RF, in our understanding. During the Civil War (1917–1923), our lands were independent. This all refers to the Don Army and the Kuban Army,” says Roman.

According to some sources, Tsar Ivan the Terrible, in the mid-16th century, granted the Cossacks eternal ownership of the Don River as a reward for capturing Kazan. Later, Peter I initiated the physical destruction of the Don Cossacks, severely limiting their autonomy and reducing their territory. The subsequent Russian rulers were more lenient towards the Cossacks, and until the 1917 revolution, the Don Army region remained intact. The Soviet government continued what Peter I started after the revolution and civil war — the eradication of the Don Cossacks.

A RDK Fighter with Ukrainian Roots

Another fighter in the Free Cossack Detachment of the RDK, Timofey, was born in Moscow and lived there until he was seven. He then moved with his parents to Odessa — the historical homeland of his father, a well-known Ukrainian and Russian artist, Sergey Anufriev.

“He [father] was born in Odessa and, at some point, decided to return to Ukraine. I grew up here until I went to university in Russia. There, I started studying at the philosophy department,” says Timofey, whose call sign is Eney.

When the full-scale war began, he decided to leave Russia and went to Serbia, where he met one of the founders of the Free Cossack Detachment of the RDK.

“Essentially, I realized that all of this is of secondary importance compared to what is happening now in Ukraine, in the country where I grew up and with which I associate myself, despite having Russian citizenship,” recalls the fighter.

Timofey’s parents hail from southern Ukraine and Russia. He mentions that there were also Don and Zaporizhzhian Cossacks in his family.

“I have always felt a connection to both Ukraine and Russia, but I could not understand who I am. How does this happen? I cannot fully call myself Ukrainian, but I also cannot call myself Russian. Ultimately, I concluded that I am most likely a Cossack,” explains Timofey.

What the RDK Cossacks Fight For

The fighters of the Free Cossack Detachment of the RDK consider themselves descendants of the Cossacks and wish to revive this culture.

“True Cossackhood is us. We are fighting for the liberation of our native land from the clutches of the Kremlin elites. We are the echo of that war that continues to this day,” asserts Kuban.

According to members of the Cossack detachment, they see themselves as descendants of free and independent warriors resisting Moscow's authority.

“These are indeed people with Cossack heritage who identify with the Cossack idea. Ultimately, they would like to see their native land independent from Moscow's power. We, like all RDK fighters, are part of this friendly order, but we maintain our self-identity as Cossacks,” explains Eney.

The Difference Between Ukrainian and Russian Cossacks

“Cossack culture in Russia is very distorted. It has turned into a circus — I don’t even know how else to describe it. It’s just a masquerade, devoid of the true Cossack spirit,” says Kuban.

According to historians, Russian Cossack organizations have always been under government control. While in Ukraine they are social and cultural organizations, in Russia they are politically oriented.

“Russian Cossacks have completely transitioned to serve the Russian authorities. They fulfill all whims and are yet another tool for implementing Russian domestic and foreign policy, wherever they succeed,” explains historian and head of the public organization “Center for Military History” Vasily Pavlov.

The Kremlin used Cossacks as a tool for destabilization in Donbas in 2014. They actively participated in combat on the side of the self-proclaimed "DPR" and "LPR."

In addition to the Cossack detachment, the RDK includes a combat unit of Karelian nationalists fighting for the independence of Karelia. There is also a separate group advocating for the independence of the Kaliningrad region.

“If we can use Cossacks in such a way to fracture the unity of Russia and create a number of independent states — whether national or Cossack — then it will only be beneficial,” believes historian Vasily Pavlov.

Where the Cossacks Are Fighting on the Front

The Cossack detachment within the “Russian Volunteer Corps” has participated in several military operations.

Roman began his service as a stormtrooper in the Luhansk region, near Svatove. He then fought at the coke-chemical plant in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, where he sustained a shrapnel wound.

“It was terrifying. The first assault was in Avdiivka — the adrenaline was off the charts. I always dreamed of jumping out of a vehicle with a weapon in hand and shooting from the knee at the main enemy. I did it. I did even more in that assault. All our stormtroopers are just beasts,” recounts the man.

Within the RDK, he entered the Belgorod region of Russia. The latest significant operation was the liberation of the Volchansky Aggregate Plant from Russian forces in September 2024.

“They [Russian military] were tactically surrounded at the plant. Our goal was to force them to surrender,” emphasized Kuban.

Timofey also participated in the clearing of the Volchansky Aggregate Plant. This is currently his only military operation. Some Russian soldiers who find themselves in Ukrainian captivity during assaults eventually switch to the side of the “Russian Volunteer Corps.”

“We have former GRU officers, Russian paratroopers, and, accordingly, fighters from the Wagner PMC. These are adequate people who consciously chose to join our side — the side of Ukraine, the side of good,” notes Eney.

His comrade Roman adds that their unit also includes former fighters from “Storm-Z.”

“How do they join [our ranks]? First, they express