The Russian Partisan Movement: Sabotage, Resistance, and Support for Ukraine
Inside the shadows of Russia’s vast example, a burgeoning partisan movement has emerged. This movement is driven by a coalition of dissidents, former military personnel, and ordinary citizens. This underground resistance network consists of many groups of many names, and they oppose the Kremlin’s policies and actions, especially with regards to the war in Ukraine. These partisan groups have been responsible for a series of daring activities that strike fear into the authoritarian leaders of Russia. From derailing trains and blowing up enlistment offices to aiding Ukrainian forces in drone operations, the Russian resistance movement plays a major role in the Ukraine War.
The Russian resistance movement has been around for a long time, but has been repressed by Putin’s regime. However, with the onset of the Ukraine war, the full fury of the resistance was released. Widespread dissatisfaction with the Kremlin’s atrocities began to simmer. Many Russians, disillusioned by the Kremlin’s authoritarian grip, the pointless deaths of many Ukrainians, and the economic hardships exacerbated by international sanctions, started to voice their dissent. Many realized early on that open protest was met with brutal repression, so the methods of resistance became more clandestine, but also more spectacular.
