Girkin supporters gather in Moscow
The military blogger Girkin wants to take on Putin from prison. The former separatist leader doesn't think the Kremlin's course of war in Ukraine is tough enough. His supporters gather in Moscow and murmur something about "riots".
Hundreds of supporters of the imprisoned former separatist leader Igor Girkin supported his candidacy for the Russian presidential election next year at a meeting in Moscow. Over 300 of them gathered in a hotel in the Russian capital to campaign for Girkin. Among them were many women, elderly people and military veterans. Some wore T-shirts with Girkin's face and the slogan "Freedom for Strelkov", his pseudonym.
Girkin became known as the commander of the separatists in the internationally unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic during the Kremlin-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The military blogger supports the current Russian offensive in Ukraine, but strongly condemns its military strategy as not tough enough.
Following a series of critical online posts about President Vladimir Putin, Girkin was arrested in July for "public calls to extremism", and his trial behind closed doors began in December. Although already in custody, Girkin announced his candidacy for the presidential election in mid-March on online networks in August. The reason he gave was that he considered himself "more competent in military matters than the incumbent president".
"Campaign pursues a different goal"
He had confidence in Girkin's military capabilities, said Mihail Filippov, who had come to Moscow from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk especially to take part in the support campaign. The 44-year-old electrician added that he was certain that Girkin would fulfill his role as Russia's commander-in-chief perfectly and would "not be fooled". Yevgeny Skripnik, a former co-combatant of Girkin's in the Donbass, said that many soldiers on the front supported the former separatist leader.
However, not even the organizers of the meeting believe that Girkin's candidacy will be accepted. The campaign is pursuing a completely "different goal", said co-organizer Mikhail Polnykov: "On the eve of the uprising, the comrades-in-arms must unite".
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Despite Girkin's candidacy for the Russian presidential election being questionable due to his incarceration, his supporters continue to advocate for his release and push for his election. In response to this, Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has been criticized for its handling of the conflict in Ukraine, with separatists in eastern Ukraine accusing Russia of not taking a firm enough stance in the ongoing Attack on Ukraine.
Source: www.ntv.de
