Tag: Russians fighting for Ukraine

Timofey Anufriev Dies Fighting for Ukraine

The name of the beautiful young woman in this photo, taken a month ago in Odessa, is Katya, and she is the mother of a wonderful young man, Timofey Anufriev, a Russian passport holder who went to war to defend Ukraine. Today we received news that he has been killed. You can learn more about him in the film to which I’ve linked in the comments. And try to think hard about [the difference between mere] words and real actions… May the memory of the heroes live forever!

Source: Vitaliy Manski (Facebook), 6 January 2026. Translated by the Russian Reader

The Insider, “‘War is like playing chess with death’: Confessions of a philosophy student from the RVC” (in Russian, no subtitles)

Until recently, 21-year-old Timofey Anufriev (son of the renowned artist Sergei Anufriev) was an ordinary university student in Petersburg. For over a year, though, he has been fighting for Ukraine in the ranks of RVC (Russian Volunteer Corps). Our film crew met with him in Kiev. Timofey talks about why he made this decision and about war and death in this report by The Insider.

Source: The Insider (YouTube), 20 March 2025. Annotation translated by the Russian Reader. There is an egregiously machine-translated and machine-dubbed version of this same film which can be viewed here. |||| TRR

Timofey Anufriev

[The] 22-year-old Russian-Ukrainian fighter Timofey ‘Aeneas‘ Anufriev was kіlled in action while defending his second homeland.

“Timofey participated in many of the Corps‘ operations: assaults, cleanups, and capturing prisoners. He lived and dіеd like a true knight and poet, in a blaze of fiery glory! <…> Forever in the RVC, forever in the ranks!” the Corps wrote on its Telegram channel.

Anufriev served as a stormtrooper and had the call sign ‘Enei’ [Aeneas]. He was awarded the medal ‘For Assistance to Military Intelligence of Ukraine.’

“The son of a well-known conceptual artist [Sergei Anufriev], born in Moscow and raised in Odesa, Enei regarded both Ukraine and Russia as countries close to him. Highly intelligent and well-educated, open and kind, he sought to contribute to the Corps not only in combat but also beyond the battlefield.

From an early age, Enei was familiar with the cultural circles of two capitals. Unlike the detached, insular segment of the artistic elite that exists removed from reality, he was deeply concerned about the fate of his people.

The outbreak of the war coincided with his first year at university in Saint Petersburg, where he studied philosophy and planned to become a public intellectual. He was disturbed by the way many around him in Russia pretended that nothing was happening. As a result, he decided first to leave the country and later to join the Russian Volunteer Corps.

“There is always a choice,” Enei believed—and he made one guided by his sense of honor. Throughout his combat service, he served as an assault infantryman, one of the most dangerous roles in war.

He took part in numerous operations, including assaults, clearing operations, and the capture of enemy personnel. He lived—and died—in accordance with his convictions.” wrote RVC on its nocturnal post.

Source: ukrainciaga.international (Instagram), 6 January 2025

The son of a famous conceptual artist, he was born in Moscow and grew up in Odessa. Aeneas considered Ukraine and Russia to be his home countries. An exceptionally intelligent and educated, open and kind person, he sought to benefit the Corps not only in battle, but also beyond it.

From childhood, Aeneas was familiar with the cultural bohemian scene of the two capitals, but he was not part of the abstract and “airy” artistic elite that exists detached from reality. On the contrary, he was deeply concerned about the fate of his people.

The war began during his first year at university in St. Petersburg, where he studied philosophy and planned to become a public philosopher. He was disgusted by the fact that many of his peers in the Russian Federation pretended that nothing was happening. Therefore, he decided to first leave Russia and then join the Russian Volunteer Corps.

“There is always a choice,” Eney believed, and he made a choice dictated by honor. He spent his entire military career as an assault soldier — the most dangerous job in the war.

He participated in many operations of the Corps: he stormed, cleared, and took prisoners. He lived and died like a true knight and poet, in the rays of fiery glory!

He was awarded the medal “For Assistance to Military Intelligence of Ukraine.”

Timofey “Aeneas” Anufriev

Forever in the RVC!
Forever in the ranks!

Source: Russian Volunteer Corps Eng (Telegram), 6 January 2026

The Death of Vladislav Yurchenko

Vladislav Yurchenko

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