Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin, who had joined Ukraine’s armed forces, was reportedly killed in battle in the Kharkiv region, according to former Echo of Moscow journalist Ksenia Larina.
Larina shared the news on social media, citing information from a fellow soldier, Igor Volobuyev, who heard it from Dadin's brothers.
Dadin was the first person convicted under Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for "repeatedly violating the rules for organizing or holding protests, rallies, demonstrations, marches, or pickets."
This law later became informally known as the "Dadin Article."
After serving more than two years in prison and undergoing torture throughout his time there, Dadin joined Ukraine's forces against Russia in 2023, serving first in the Siberian Battalion and later in the Freedom of Russia legion.
Ukraine's military intelligence spokesman Andrii Yusov previously said that these militias, (also including the Russian Volunteer Corps), are comprised of Russian citizens who are part of Ukraine's "defense and security forces” but stressed that their incursions into Russia are not taking place under Kyiv's orders.
"On the territory of the Russian Federation, they act absolutely autonomously, on their own, and pursue their social and political program tasks," Yusov told the media.
Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, said that anti-Kremlin militias had been helping Ukraine from the very beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, and Ukrainian forces would try to support them as well "to the extent possible."
Chris York
