A leader of the Russian partisans has told the Express that the main goals of his organisation are to bring about the destruction of Vladimir Putin‘s “anti-human” system, end the war in Ukraine and punish those responsible for “colossal crimes” against humanity.
Roman Popkov is a coordinator of the group Rospartisans, who have been carrying out sabotage missions targeting military and industrial sites in Russia.
Russian prosecutors have also accused his organisation of masterminding the assassination of a leading pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarksy in Saint Petersburg last year.
Popkov told the Express that there are two key aspects to the partisans’ mission – punishing those with “blood on them” and reducing Russia‘s military potential.
“One of the goals is retribution, which is a very important moral imperative,” he explained. “Evil must be punished – this is important for the victims, it is important for the future.”
He identified Putin propagandists, whom he described as being like “weapons of mass destruction”, as one of the key targets for “punishment”, as well as leaders of Putin’s military and security apparatus.
The second goal for the partisans was to degrade Putin’s ability to wage his war in Ukraine.
“A war on communications, on infrastructure and the industrial capacity of the terrorist state, is as important as the action on the front because the Empire will adapt to frontline conventional warfare as it has a lot of resources,” he said.
“But strikes on the home front, on the vulnerable places, it’s harder for it to adapt. So this is our goal, the maximum reduction of Putin’s military potential so that it will be more and more difficult for him to fight so that all this begins to fall apart gradually.”
Popkov, 45, is a former leader of the radical National Bolshevik Party and was a prominent anti-Putin activist in Russia well before the war.
He organised many protests against the regime and has spent time in jail for his political activism.
He said there was no other way to destroy Putin and his totalitarian regime other than by the use of force.
“Since Putin came to power in 2000, we have tried different formats, different methods of pressure on this state. There are no other ways of fighting except by force and that’s why I’m with the partisans and their comrades.”
He added that Putin’s Russia was a state of “absolute evil” and as such there could be “no forbidden methods” in fighting it.
Popkov stressed that his group was among many actively engaged in resistance inside Russia.
He said his group was made up of active operators – those who carry out missions – and those who provide logistical support. Volunteers mainly come from what he described as “left-wing and right-wing sub-cultures” – anarchists and nationalists.
“Why they play a big role is because they have been for a long period of time in a tough confrontation with the state,” he explained. “From very early on they understood everything about Putin and the Kremlin and that’s why they are initially energised for this kind of decisive action.
“These subcultures are supposed to create this warrior psycho-type revolutionary. That is, they are people with a kind of fighting instinct, and they have developed it. This readiness and willingness to risk and fight is the first category.”
Other members come from the traditional Russian opposition who have grown disillusioned with the approach adopted by its leaders – these include former supporters of Alexey Navalny.
Yet another subgroup is people who previously were apolitical but have been spurred to activism by their moral indignation.
He argued that the issue of morality and shame played a big part in persuading people to put everything on the line and risk their lives to fight Putin’s regime.
“The war with Ukraine has presented them with a very difficult moral choice,” Popkov said. “They realise that their country is committing colossal crimes unparalleled in Europe.
“Will they look back in this darkness and see sparks of light? Will they be ashamed of the whole nation, or will there still be in this Sodom and Gomorrah some righteous people who have not bowed down to the darkness?
“It’s important to the nation, for its future, even. If on a dark canvas where many have become ghouls and fanatics of anti-human ideas if at least there are still people who do not bow down and who fight, then we have a future, that’s it. That’s the motivation they have.”