National Republican Army (Russia)

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National Republican Army
Национальная республиканская армия
Dates of operation2022–present
Country Russia
Allegiance Congress of People's Deputies[citation needed]
IdeologyAnti-Putinism
Republicanism
Liberal democracy[citation needed]
Anti-authoritarianism[1][unreliable source?]
Anti-communism[citation needed]
Slogan"Let's take back our Motherland!" (Russian: Вернём себе Родину!)
Notable attacksKilling of Darya Dugina (claimed)[2]
Russian military commissariats attacks (claimed)[3]
Assassination of Vladlen Tatarsky (claimed)[4]
StatusParamilitary
Allies
OpponentsRussia Russia under Vladimir Putin
Battles and wars
Colours    White-blue-white flag

The National Republican Army (NRA; Russian: Национальная республиканская армия, НРА, romanized: Natsionalnaya respublikanskaya armiya, NRA) is an alleged underground partisan group of Russians inside Russia working towards the violent overthrow of the Putin government.[1][6] The group claims to be a member of the Irpin Declaration, an alleged alliance of anti-government Russian militant groups.[5]

Ilya Ponomarev, a former member of the Russian State Duma,[a] has identified the group as being behind the assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina in August 2022, and "many other partisan actions carried out on the territory of Russia in recent months."[11][12][13][14] He said he has been "in touch" with representatives of the organization since April 2022.[12] He describes his role as similar to that played by Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin vis-à-vis the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the Troubles, and claimed that his role is limited to providing publicity, helping fugitives, and providing technical assistance; he denied providing weapons.[15]

Commentators have expressed doubts as to Ponomarev's claims about the group.[16][17] Media coverage of Dugina's assassination stresses that there is no independent verification of the Russian NRA's existence or its role in the assassination.[18][19] Nevertheless, the opposition Russian Action Committee blacklisted Ponomarev from its Free Russia Congress on grounds that he had "called for terrorist attacks on Russian territory." The Committee's statement also implied that Dugina was a "[civilian] who [did] not take part in the armed confrontation", and condemned denunciations of Aleksandr Dugin following the attack as "a demonstrative rejection of normal human empathy for the families of the victims."[20][21]

History[edit]

Following the outbreak of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, arson attacks on Russian military enlistment and induction centers were a widely reported phenomenon.[22] The dispersed arsons were, however, rarely attributed to a group with the exception of those claimed by the Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists.[23]

Former Deputy of the State Duma Ilya Ponomarev claims to have made contact with one group behind these arsons in April 2022.[3] He was also noted at a May 2022 conference of exiles in Vilnius sponsored by the Free Russia Forum, appealing to attendees to support the arsons. A Spektr (Russian: Спектр) reporter noted an indifferent response from the attendees.[24] Simultaneously, Ponomarev and others established two media outlets based in Kyiv aimed at an anti-Putin audience within Russia: YouTube channel February Morning (Russian: Утро Февраля) and its affiliated Telegram-based publication "Rospartisan" (Russian: Роспартизан). The two outlets encouraged direct action including arson and sabotage to the extent of providing directions.[25][26]

In Ponomarev's narrative to the Kyiv Post, the National Republican Army group shifted from anonymous arsons to an assassination plot against Dugin and Dugina as "something high-profile for which they could become well-known." He claims that a contact in the group told him a week before the assassination to expect "something big," followed by his contact instructing him to "watch the news." Following news coverage of the assassination, Ponomarev claims that he was provided evidence of the group's responsibility.[3] Ponomarev gave a similar account to Radio NV (Ukrainian: Радіо НВ), elaborating that his contacts "sent certain photos to prove their involvement."[27]

Following the killing of Darya Dugina, Ponomarev took to February Morning to attribute the attacks to the hitherto unknown National Republican Army and to read its manifesto on air. The NRA's manifesto was also released in text form via Rospartizan.[28][29] Subsequently, Ponomarev spoke with several outlets including Meduza and attributed some of the earlier 2022 attacks on military induction centers to his contacts in the NRA.[30]

In a release to TASS state-news agency, the Federal Security Service declared their investigation of Dugina's assassination "solved" by attributing the attack to a "citizen of Ukraine, Natalia Vovk", whom they accused of being a part of special forces of Ukraine. The statement further stated that Vovk had escaped to Estonia.[31]

Ponomarev told Meduza that his sources deny Vovk was the perpetrator, but left ambiguous whether she had a role.[30] A message from Ponomarev to Rozpartizan also denied her participation in the attack, but acknowledged that she was exfiltrated from Russia at the request of unnamed "friends".[32][better source needed]

On 22 August 2022, Rospartizan carried a message from a group calling itself the Army's "Revolutionary Military Council" (Russian: Реввоенсовет), stating that Rospartizan would be the exclusive source of official messages, disavowing purported social media accounts.[33][better source needed]

On 23 August, the National Republican Army mocked FSB allegations of a Ukrainian woman being the assassin with extensive details about the alleged assassin (such as renting an apartment in the same building as Dugina, travels and license plates), saying, "All this became known a day after the murder—this is the speed of the investigation!" The NRA said the Ukrainian woman is most likely a refugee from the occupied Mariupol who was framed. The NRA's Rospartizan said, "There are thousands of such women fleeing the occupied city to Europe through Russia. Playing this story is very convenient for Putin's special services—they found the 'guilty' and have nothing to show."[34][better source needed]

On 31 August, a declaration on cooperation between the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the National Republican Army was signed in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. The organizations also agreed to create a political center, the purpose of which is to represent their interests before the state authorities of different countries and organize a joint information policy. Ilya Ponomarev will lead the political center.[5][35][36]

On 18 October 2022, a group of computer hackers identifying themselves as being connected to the NRA, contacted Kyiv Post. They claim to have hacked Technoserv and nearly a dozen other companies providing national security and defense contracting services for Russia. On 19 October, the group released the entire dump of data representing 1.2 terabytes. A computer expert described Technoserv as "the people who are the architects of the Russian Government," and the hack would likely indicate "access to the architecture networks, databases, cloud solutions, and other information that is of key importance to the Russian Government."[37]

On 4 April 2023, the National Republican Army published a statement, claiming they arranged the assassination of pro-Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed by a bomb while speaking at an event hosted at a Saint Petersburg café.[38]

Descriptions to the media[edit]

As of 1 September 2022, only two persons have purported to speak for the NRA: Ilya Ponomarev, and an unidentified militant going by "Aleksandr."[39]

Ponomarev representations[edit]

Ponomarev granted an English-language interview discussing the NRA to Jason Jay Smart [uk] of the Kyiv Post. There, Ponomarev acknowledged his support of the group while disavowing membership or direct foreknowledge.

Ponomarev's account describes the NRA as being a "network" rather than an organization, which consists of clandestine cells that are compartmentalized and autonomous. He describes the group as having "a slight left-leaning orientation", and that it "embraces social justice, gets rid of oligarchs, and moves away from the new-liberalism approaches of Yeltsin and Putin."[3]

In a pointed question, Smart asks whether the NRA could be a mere cover for Federal Security Service, with Ponomarev replying:[3]

I would say watch the actions of the NRA: burning down military recruitment and draft offices, and openly calling for lone wolves to attack the state. The FSB would never call for lone wolf attacks – as those cannot be controlled.

Moreover, it is worth noting that the Russian state press has totally ignored the NRA's announcement – a sign that the Russian FSB knows that this is something new, which they do not understand, nor control, and are hence clearly worried about it.

In online magazine Spektr (Russian: Спектр) Ponomarev agreed with his interviewer Lev Kadik's characterization of his own role vis-à-vis the NRA as similar to the role of Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin vis-à-vis the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and claimed that his role is limited to providing publicity, helping fugitives, and providing technical assistance; he denied providing weapons. In addition, Ponomarev offered parallels to the relationship of African National Congress and its armed wing uMkhonto we Sizwe.[15]

"Aleksandr" interview[edit]

Smart would conduct another interview in Kyiv Post on 1 September 2022, with a purported NRA militant going by the name "Aleksandr." In the interview, Aleksandr described the NRA's role as making "sporadic attacks against the authorities, their ideologues, and their media stooges," with the objective of provoking discord among the Russian "elite." Aleksandr also claimed that "there are former, and more importantly current members of the security and law enforcement agencies in our ranks," due to dissatisfaction within their ranks.[39]

Expulsion of Ponomarev from the Russian Action Committee[edit]

In reaction to Ponomarev's statements, the opposition Russian Action Committee blacklisted Ponomarev from its planned Congress of Free Russia event, stating that Ponomarev had "called for terrorist attacks on Russian territory", which the Committee objected to. The Committee stated its support for armed confrontation against military targets of "the aggressor's country" (Russia). The Committee's statement implied that Dugina was seen as a civilian who had not "take[n] part in the armed confrontation," and that it did not support "rejection of normal human empathy for the families of the victims."[20][21]

In response, Ponomarev mocked the gathering as the "Committee of Inaction."[40]

Symbolism[edit]

The Army, according to its own statements, uses "the white-blue-white flag of the new Russia instead of the tricolor disgraced by the Putin authorities".[41] The white-blue-white flag had previously been adopted by the Freedom of Russia Legion[42] and by the Russian news channel February Morning.[43] The white-blue-white flag originally emerged as a symbol of peace and more specifically a symbol of opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[44]

Debate over existence and claims[edit]

As of 21 August 2022, Associated Press and The Guardian articles concerning the death of Dugina and its aftermath state that the claim of a National Republican Army responsibility cannot be confirmed.[45][46] A 22 August 2022 report from Reuters says that "[Ponomarev's] assertion and the group's existence could not be independently verified."[47]

In an interview with Ponomarev for Meduza, both the interviewer Svetlana Reiter and the editor note scepticism about his claims about the Russian NRA, his accommodations of Putin in his Duma career, and the source of his wealth.[16][17] Separately, Meduza managing editor Kevin Rothrock questioned Ponomarev's integrity, the existence of the NRA, and implied that both Dugin and Dugina were "civilians" who should not have been targeted.[18][19]

Citing the livestream of Yulia Latynina, Cathy Young mused on the possibility that Ponomarev is "a grifter trying to sell a good story," but noted that the NRA manifesto's appeal to patriotism is not suggestive of black propaganda.[18]

Sergey Radchenko, the Distinguished Professor at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told Deutsche Welle he found the claim of responsibility and manifesto to both be "dodgy".[19]

Deutsche Welle's reporter in Kyiv Roman Goncharenko said, "there are more questions than answers" about the group, and noted that the group's purported manifesto employs a call to action "fight like us, fight with us, fight better than us!" (Russian: боритесь как мы, боритесь вместе с нами, боритесь лучше нас!) inspired by the Deutscher Fernsehfunk children's television show Do with us, do as we do, do better than us!  [de; ru] that aired in both East Germany and the Soviet Union until 1991.[48]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In 2014, while abroad, Ponomarev was banned from returning to Russia due to an ongoing investigation.[7] An order for his arrest was later ordered by a Moscow court for an alleged embezzlement case,[8] and Ponomarev was impeached by the State Duma in June 2016.[9][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b van Brugen, Isabel (22 August 2022). "What is Russia's anti-Putin "National Republican Army"?". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Russian partisans claim responsibility for assassination of Kremlin propagandist Daria Dugina". english.nv.ua. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Smart, Jason Jay (23 August 2022). "Exclusive interview: Russia's NRA Begins Activism". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  4. ^ "National Republican Army takes responsibility for murder of propagandist Tatarsky". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b c ""Русский добровольческий корпус", легион "Свобода России" и "Национальная республиканская армия" РФ подписали декларацию о сотрудничестве" ["Russian Volunteer Corps", Legion "Freedom of Russia" and "National Republican Army" of the Russian Federation signed a declaration of cooperation]. gordonua.com. 31 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  6. ^ "'Our task is to finish off Putin' Ex-lawmaker Ilya Ponomarev on Daria Dugina's death, the National Republican Army, and bringing down the Russian regime". Meduza. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  7. ^ Majka, Christopher (7 December 2015). "Ilya Ponomarev: Opposing Putin's empire of swindlers and thieves". rabble.ca. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Russia puts out arrest warrant for the only Duma deputy who voted against Crimea". Meduza. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Илью Пономарева лишили мандата депутата Госдумы РФ" [Ilya Ponomarev was deprived of the mandate of the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation] (in Russian). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Госдума лишила Илью Пономарева депутатского мандата" [The State Duma deprived Ilya Ponomarev of his deputy mandate]. TASS. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  11. ^ Harding, Luke (21 August 2022). "Ex-Russian MP claims Russian partisans responsible for Moscow car bomb". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
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  13. ^ "Ответственность за подрыв машины Дарьи Дугиной взяла на себя "Национальная республиканская армия" России — что о ней известно" [Responsibility for blowing up the car of Daria Dugina was taken by the "National Republican Army" of Russia - what is known about it]. Zerkalo.io (in Russian). 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  14. ^ Nadeau, Barbie Latza (22 August 2022). "Hasty Russian 'Probe' Pins Deadly Car Bomb on Mom-Kid Duo in Mini Cooper". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  15. ^ a b ""Мы находимся на войне". Илья Пономарев о неизвестной до убийства Дугиной "НРА" и своей роли в ней" ["We are at war." Ilya Ponomarev about the "NRA" unknown before the murder of Dugina and his role in it]. Спектр-Пресс (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  16. ^ a b ""Они видели, что в машину садятся два человека. И думали, что второй — Дугин" Интервью Ильи Пономарева. Он комментирует убийство Дугиной от лица мистической "Национальной республиканской армии", которая, по его словам, устроила этот взрыв" [“They saw two people getting into the car. And they thought that the second one was Dugin.” Interview with Ilya Ponomarev. He comments on the murder of Dugina on behalf of the mystical "National Republican Army", which, according to him, staged (carried out?) this explosion.]. Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  17. ^ a b "'Our task is to finish off Putin' Ex-lawmaker Ilya Ponomarev on Daria Dugina's death, the National Republican Army, and bringing down the Russian regime". Meduza. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  18. ^ a b c Young, Cathy (25 August 2022). "The Dugina Killing Aftermath". The Bulwark. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  19. ^ a b c Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche, Nobody had previously ever heard of the National Republican Army: Prof. Sergey Radchenko | DW | 22.08.2022, archived from the original on 22 September 2022, retrieved 23 August 2022
  20. ^ a b "Заявление Российского комитета действия от 22 августа 2022 года" [Statement of the Russian Action Committee of August 22, 2022]. Комитет действия (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Statement of the Russian Action Committee 22.08.2022" (in Russian and English). Russian Action Committee. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  22. ^ "More Russian Military Enlistment Buildings Targeted In Possible Sign Of War Protest". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  23. ^ McDonald, Karl (5 August 2022). "How Russia's anarchist saboteurs are destroying Putin's war machine from within". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  24. ^ Kadik, Lev (22 May 2022). "Заикнулись о вооруженной борьбе. "Спектр" понаблюдал за антивоенной конференцией Форума свободной России в Вильнюсе" [Hinting at armed struggle: Spektr watched the anti-war conference of the Free Russia Forum in Vilnius]. Спектр-Пресс (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  25. ^ Harding, Luke (7 June 2022). "Russian-language Ukrainian TV channel aims to topple Putin". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Утро Февраля" [February Morning]. YouTube (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Знищення Дугіної. Насильницький супротив буде зростати, іншого шляху немає – Ілля Пономарьов" [Liquidation of Dugina: "Violent resistance will grow, there is no other way" Ilya Ponomarev]. YouTube. Радіо НВ. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  28. ^ "В РОССИИ СОЗДАНА НАЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ РЕСПУБЛИКАНСКАЯ АРМИЯ, ОСУЩЕСТВИВШАЯ ПОКУШЕНИЕ НА ДУГИНА" [Statement of The National Republican Army (NRA) OF 2022-08-21], Утро Февраля (in Russian), YouTube, archived from the original on 31 August 2022, retrieved 21 August 2022
  29. ^ "ЗАЯВЛЕНИЕ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКАНСКОЙ АРМИИ (НРА) ОТ 21.08.2022" [Statement of The National Republican Army (NRA) OF 2022-08-21]. Роспартизан (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  30. ^ a b ""Они видели, что в машину садятся два человека. И думали, что второй — Дугин" Интервью Ильи Пономарева. Он комментирует убийство Дугиной от лица мистической "Национальной республиканской армии", которая, по его словам, устроила этот взрыв" ["They saw that two people were getting into the car. And they thought that the second one was Dugin" Interview with Ilya Ponomarev. He comments on the murder of Dugina on behalf of the mystical "National Republican Army", which, according to him, staged this explosion.]. Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  31. ^ "FSB solves Darya Dugina's murder, masterminded by Ukrainian secret services". TASS. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  32. ^ "Forwarded from Илья Пономарев" [Forwarded from Ilya Ponomarev]. Telegram (in Russian). Роспартизан. 22 August 2022. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  33. ^ "Пресс-сообщение от 22.08.2022" [Press release dated 2022-08-22]. Telegram (in Russian). Роспартизан. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  34. ^ "Anti-Putin "National Republican Army" mocks Russia's Dugina claims". Newsweek. 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  35. ^ ""Ирпенская декларация": россияне будут бороться с Путиным с территории Украины (ВИДЕО)" ["Irpen Declaration": Russians will fight Putin from the territory of Ukraine (VIDEO)]. Дом (in Russian). 31 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Россияне, воюющие на стороне Украины, подписали совместную "Ирпенскую декларацию"" [Russians fighting on the side of Ukraine signed a joint "Irpin Declaration"]. Журнал «Холод» (in Russian). 31 August 2022. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  37. ^ Jason Jay Smart (19 October 2022). "NRA Releases Full Trove of Data Critical to Russia?s National Security". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  38. ^ "«Национальная республиканская армия» взяла на себя ответственность за взрыв в Петербурге" ["National Republican Army" claimed responsibility for the explosion in St. Petersburg]. meduza.io. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  39. ^ a b Smart, Jason Jay (1 September 2022). "Leader of Darya Dugina's Killers - Exclusive Interview". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  40. ^ "Илья Пономарев: "Ненасильственный протест в России мы уже проходили"" [Ilya Ponomarev: “We have already gone through non-violent protest in Russia”]. utro02.tv (in Russian). 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  41. ^ "В РФ оппозиция создала партизанскую армию" [In the Russian Federation, the opposition created a partisan army]. Korrespondent.net (in Russian). 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  42. ^ Coles, Isabel; Trofimov, Yaroslav (7 April 2022). "Belarusians, Russians Join Ukraine's Military, Hoping for Freedom at Home". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022. While the Belarusian opposition has long been inspired by Ukraine's resistance to Russia and attempts to impose authoritarian rule, the arrival of Russians willing to fight against their own compatriots is relatively new. The uniforms of the Freedom for Russia unit have the white-blue-white patch, in the colors of a new Russian flag favored by some opponents of Mr. Putin.
  43. ^ "Russian-language Ukrainian TV channel aims to topple Putin". The Guardian. 7 June 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  44. ^ Sauer, Pjotr (3 April 2022). "Red is dead: Russian anti-war protesters fly a new flag for peace". The Observer. The Guardian. London, UK: Guardian News & Media Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
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  48. ^ Obscure group claims responsibility for Russian car bombing | DW News, archived from the original on 25 August 2022, retrieved 25 August 2022

External links[edit]

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