Vladislav Yurchenko, an anarchist from Russia who stood up in defense of the peoples of Ukraine, has died in battle
You may have recently read about an anarchist from Russia with the call sign Pirate who was fighting against Putin’s troops in the ranks of the Siberian Battalion. He is 22-year-old Vladislav Yurchenko. He was killed on 9 August during an amphibious assault on the occupied Kinburn Spit, according to the Telegram channel Anarchist Сombatant.
In July, the Resistance Committee published Vladislav’s remarks about his motives for fighting on the Ukrainian side.
“I have always had a heightened sense of justice. That was why, when Putin launched his imperial war against Ukraine, I decided to take up arms to defend the freedom of the Ukrainian people, and the freedom of Russian citizens and the Indigenous peoples enslaved by Russia.
“When I was 24 years old [Yurchenko changed his age to protect his identity — I.A.] I took an interest in the ideals of anarchism. It was then I realized I was living in a fascist state. I started going to rallies in support of political prisoners, but quite quickly was disillusioned with this way of fighting the regime. I studied a maritime profession and was employed on sea vessels. I had a good salary, and had something to lose, but when the war started, I could not in good conscience continue to lead my ordinary life and turn a blind eye to the crimes committed by the Russian army. That is why I am here,” Yurchenko wrote.
On 9 August 2024, Siberian Battalion soldiers took part with other units in an amphibious assault on the Kinburn Spit, which is occupied by Russian troops. Yurchenko was wounded in the battle. His comrades tried to evacuate him, but his boat was hit by an ATGM (anti-tank guided missile) fired from the Russian side, and Yurchenko was killed.
Yurchenko left behind a letter to be published in the case of his death.
“Hello to all our comrades. My name is Vladislav, call sign ‘Pirate.’ I decided to leave behind this letter in case I perished in the war against the imperial Russian regime, the war against the country in which I was born and grew up, the war against the dictator who usurped power before I was born. I want this letter to remain as a historical document of the involvement of revolutionary anarchists in the Ukrainian people’s resistance to the Russian tyranny. Like all sensible citizens of the Russian Federation, I was shocked by this war’s beginning, by the terrible injustice and crimes committed by the Russian army on Ukrainian soil. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, I thought only about what I could do to combat this injustice, how I could stop the madness that my own people were committing. When I learned that there were military units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine which had begun to sign up Russian nationals, I immediately realized that I must fight for the freedom of the Ukrainian people and our ideals in this way, under arms. And even if I don’t live to see the Ukrainian people’s victory over the occupiers, the bright anarcho-communist future, and justice and freedom for all people on Earth, I still believe. I believe that this future will definitely dawn; as long as our comrades continue to fight, totalitarianism, authoritarianism and fascism will not engulf humanity. I wish my comrades the same confidence in the fight for freedom.
“Revolution is immortal!”
Source: Ivan Astashin (Facebook), 19 August 2024. Translated by the Russian Reader
Thanks for sharing that. Your efforts are (always) much appreciated, at least by me, a typical clueless Yankee Imperialist dog.
You’re welcome. Thanks for the comment!