Ildar Dadin, a prominent Russian opposition activist-turned-fighter for Ukraine, has been killed in action, according to the Civic Council, the group that recruited him. Dadin, who fought alongside the Freedom of Russia Legion, died under Russian artillery fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine.
The Civic Council, which confirmed his death, hailed him as a hero. However, details surrounding his death remain limited, with the Freedom of Russia Legion withholding comment as an active military operation continues.
Ilia Ponamarev, an exiled Russian opposition politician, also confirmed the news, stating that Dadin’s comrades in battle had verified his death. Messages sent to Dadin’s phone remain unread, leaving little doubt that he had perished on the frontlines.
Dadin first rose to prominence in Russia a decade ago for his peaceful protests against the intensifying political repression under President Vladimir Putin’s regime. He was the first person convicted under a 2014 law, often called “Dadin’s Law,” that criminalised repeated violations of restrictive protest regulations. His sentence of two and a half years in prison became infamous for the harsh treatment he endured, including torture.
Upon his release in 2017, Dadin recounted his brutal experience in prison, where he had been tortured and threatened with rape by guards. The ordeal nearly broke him, yet his resolve to fight against oppression remained strong.
In early 2023, Dadin joined a battalion of Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine. He saw this as his moral duty to oppose the atrocities committed by Russia, including aggression, mass killings, and torture. Despite his pacifist beliefs, he took up arms under the callsign “Gandhi,” driven by a sense of responsibility for failing to prevent Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Dadin initially joined the Siberian Battalion before transferring to the Freedom of Russia Legion last winter – both officially part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Recruits are mainly Russian citizens who hope that helping Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin will be a first step towards ending his rule in the Kremlin.
While he hoped that helping Ukraine would contribute to ending Putin’s regime, Dadin admitted to feeling disillusioned with some of the missions he undertook. He said the experience wasn’t quite as he’d hoped and felt that some of the missions his unit were sent on were “pointless” in any military sense.
He also described being pinned down by Russian fire for eight hours in one battle, while a fellow soldier bled to death beside him.
Despite the hardships and exhaustion, Dadin remained resolute. “I can’t sit by and do nothing,” he once mentioned, lamenting that he hadn’t done enough to stop Russia’s crimes. However, he continued fighting, even as his conscience weighed heavily on him.
Those who knew him, however, disagreed with his self-criticism. The Civic Council described Dadin as “strong, brave, principled, and honest” and urged people to remember him for his unwavering commitment to justice.
Melissa Enoch
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