Ukraine’s military intelligence said Thursday it faked the reported death of an anti-Kremlin Russian fighter to thwart an assassination plot ordered by Moscow’s special forces.
Denis Kapustin, the leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, which has carried out cross-border raids into Russia during the war in Ukraine, was declared killed on the front line by his group on Saturday.
Days later, Ukrainian officials revealed the claim was a ruse. Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin, appeared by video link at a briefing alongside the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, who congratulated him on his "return to life.”
The assassination attempt, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known by its Ukrainian acronym GUR, said in a statement, was ordered by "the special services of the aggressor state, Russia,” which allegedly allocated $500,000 to carry out the plot.
"As a result of a comprehensive special operation,” GUR said, Kapustin’s life "was preserved,” and those involved were identified, including alleged masterminds within Russian intelligence and the perpetrators.
According to the statement, Kapustin said he was ready to continue carrying out combat and special missions as the unit’s leader.
Kapustin has ties to the far right and football hooliganism, and has previously organized mixed martial arts events and run a clothing brand called White Rex. Some of his fighters have openly espoused neo-Nazi views.
Russia has designated Kapustin a terrorist.
The episode echoes the case of anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko, who made international headlines in 2018 after faking his own murder with the help of Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian officials initially announced that Babchenko had been shot dead at his home in a contract-style killing. He reappeared alive at a news conference the following day, stunning audiences worldwide and drawing anger from journalists and press freedom groups.
Kyiv faced sharp criticism for staging the killing but said it was the only way to prevent a real assassination.