Notorious former football hooligan Denis Nikitin runs a controversial unit actively engaged alongside Ukraine forces
Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates
Denis Nikitin arrived for an interview at a Kyiv restaurant with a pistol strapped to his side and flanked by two armed bodyguards. It would not have been a surprising sight in wartime Ukraine but for one detail: Nikitin is Russian.
Before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Nikitin was known as a notorious Russian nationalist, who built links between far-right groups across Europe and was once a major figure on Russia’s football hooliganism scene.
About Author
More Stories
‘All the birds returned’: How a Chinese project led the way in water and soil conservation
Body found in NSW bushland believed to be missing six-year-old girl
Australia news live: Chalmers says Cyclone Alfred to add $1.2bn to budget deficit