OPERATION: NOVOROSSIYA Part VI-Azov: The Curious Case of the Boatsman
Little did we know we would risk our lives investigating the biography of one of the most mysterious and dangerous names in Russian and Ukrainian Neo-Nazi history. The co-founder of Azov & undercover FSB & Belarusian KGB agent: “Botsman”
To better understand how we got here and before reading this Chapter, we suggest watching the documentary Credit For Murder FIRST
Mayluta
Out of the whole world of Russian Extremism and Ukrainian Nationalism, nothing strikes more fear in the minds of Neo Nazi’s than the word “Botsman”.
Sergei “Botsman” Korotkikh aka “Shorty” call name “Mayluta”, who commanded (and co-founded) the recon regiment of the Azov Battalion, later to become the Azov Movement and adopted by the Ukrainian military as the “cleaned up” Azov Brigade. Botsman is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, lost in a puzzle, inside a fortune cookie. For years his past has been a source of controversy, confusion, and just plain mystery. It seems every few years new information gets leaked out that shines a new light on what from the outside looks like a clear-cut case of a corrupt, mentally unstable soldier of fortune with extremist Neo-Nazi beliefs. Any talk or reporting on his questionable biography has landed many journalists, nationalists and even politicians either dead or fearing for their lives. Even people associated with Azov and other right-wing National Militias, try to avoid talking about him, calling it “dangerous to their health.” And they have good reason to fear him: Sergei Korotkikh’s biography is closely intertwined with the Belarusian KGB, the Russian FSB, Vladislav Surkov, not to mention murders, kidnappings, and big money. Even for us writing about him is an uneasy but necessary affair.
In 2020, the author of his Dossier for the National Policy Institute: Ivan Beletsky, a Russian Right-wing lawyer (who fled from Russia to Ukraine) was kidnapped and badly beaten near Kyiv by a suspicious crew of Botsman loyalists. In 2015 when Azov’s main ideologist and lawyer Yaroslav Babich was found dead, hung from a rope, the finger clearly pointed at Botsman as the main suspect, but for some reason, nobody was interested in investigating. In fact, the SBU and police ruled it a suicide and closed the case. This was the first murder in Ukraine linked to Botsman but it wouldn’t be his last. He would later be linked to several murders spanning 2 decades, from Belarus, Russia to Ukraine, and mysteriously, he was never even questioned let alone accused. Something definitely nefarious was at play.
In January of 2021, Zabrona media interviewed Beletsky regarding the Dossier he published that set off a shitstorm from within Putin’s nationalistic circles as well as Russian FSB and Ukrainian SBU.
(*VIA Zaborona Media)
*On December 28, 2020, Beletsky was kidnapped and severely beaten near Kyiv. As Beletsky explained:
“For the last three months, I’ve been receiving threats from Korotkikh’s men,” he told Zaborona. “Around the same time, we started actively compiling the dossier on Sergei. They tracked my connections in Russia, my past, my closed businesses. We were terrified they would catch us at home. Or dig my mother up [from her grave — she died long ago],” he explained
On December 28, he decided to meet with his pursuers in a crowded place. They chose a supermarket off of a highway. But when Ivan arrived, no one came to meet him, so he waited a few minutes before deciding to call a taxi.
“For some reason, my Uber app stopped working, and suddenly a silver car with an “Uklon” [a Ukrainian ridesharing app] sticker pulled up. I was glad and I hopped in. An athletic-looking guy was sitting next to the driver. I asked who he was, and the driver said he was just another rideshare passenger with a different address. I was confused — I wasn’t expecting that.”
They took Ivan to the middle of nowhere on Sofievskaya Borschagovka and beat him up. When he came to his senses, the car and the attackers were gone. Ivan went out onto the road, where people called an ambulance and the police. He was diagnosed with a fractured jaw, numerous hematomas, and abrasions.
“When they were threatening me, back before the kidnapping, they said that they had raised my case in Russia in 2009,” Ivan Beletsky told Zaborona. “And they knew it in detail. Where did they get access to information kept in the Russian Investigative Committee and FSB offices? “
He was again kidnapped on February 9, 2022. At that point, he was tortured — choked into unconsciousness and was beaten with pillows. His assailants demanded that he apologize for his publication against Botsman and his people, and to stop publicly talking about this topic.
FEB 2023 UPDATE: It is confirmed that Ivan Beletsky has been murdered. Word of his death has been kept out of the media. Though we have some idea on what has happened. We will get details on this soon.
Death Squads
Sergei “Shorty” Korotkikh whose first call name was Mayluta but received his current nickname Botsman after the Boatswain/Boatsman knot used to hang his victims (a popular nickname in Eastern Europe) was born in Togliatti, Russia (Soviet Union) and later moved to Belarus with his family and where his mother currently resides. Growing up, he never showed any signs of radical beliefs, rather an avid reader of Science Fiction and KGB Spy Novels, enjoying Western movies of James Bond and Rambo. His infatuation with the military landed him in an elite recon unit in the Belarusian army at the age of 18, eventually transferring to their Intelligence unit. He was recruited by the Belarusian KGB in 1994 in which he spent the next 2 years learning tradecraft. However in 1996, with a scene right out of a Scorcese movie, Botsman was expelled, with the KGB citing his radicalization and participation with Neo-Nazi organizations as the reasoning behind the expulsion. In reality, he was sent undercover to report on the activity of an anti-Lukashenko opposition group called Popular Front. Botsman found himself embedded within a Neo-Nazi far right group called the Russian National Unity “RNE” (or RNU). RNE was a KGB financed militant group that was used primarily as the KGBs off the book muscle for Lukashenko, as well as a source for informants and human intelligence. According to open sources, “RNE” in Belarus was a KGB-supervised political organization, and one of its goals was the struggle against liberal and democratic opposition to Lukashenko’s regime.
Botsman’s cousin and best friend was a madman named Valery Ignatovich, who served with GRU in Russia and as a Spestnaz officer within the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs MVD, the agency that oversees everything from state security to military police and even the personal security of the President himself. Ignavitch was the go between the KGB and RNE and was in charge of the groups’ political missions. Ignavitch along with Botsman were part of what the media described as the Lukashenko “Death Squads” a group of unknown masked thugs and hitmen that were part of the Seventh Department of the KGB’s Alpha Group, responsible in numerous murders of opposition group leadership, ant-Lukashenko journalists and political opponents. In August 2000 Ignavitch and the Death Squad would eventually be blamed for the kidnapping and murder of popular Belarus journalist Dmitry Zavadsky. Zavadsky who also worked as a cameraman for Russian state-controlled ORT was apparently working on the connection to Lukashenko and missing opposition members and journalists. Fearing his life was in danger, he would be kidnapped on the way to the airport to meet a colleague. He was listed missing on July 7th and eventually Ignavitch and 4 other RNE members were charged and convicted for the murder and sentenced to life in prison, at which the Lukashenko regime and KGB quickly distanced themselves from RNE. Botsman however, would walk away without even a charge.
Interestingly however before the death of Zavadsky, Botsman would find himself in the war in Serbia fighting alongside a mercenary group against the Croatians. The Russian Defense Ministry was in charge of sending Russian troops from Russia to Serbia, and the Russian State General Staff was in charge of recruiting mercenaries and organizing their combat units under the supervision of the Military Counterintelligence Department of the FSB of Russia. Botsman it seemed made an impression and was sent by the FSB to participate in the war in Chechnya. Botsman would lead a recon group as well as units of low-level contract soldiers (The kontraktniki) who were used for the dirty jobs of questionable legality not to mention straight kidnapping torture and mass executions. Botsman would work with other like-minded nationalists from Russia including a young Igor Girkin who would later be outed as a Colonel in the FSB. Their intel gathering and interrogations would be instrumental in Russia’s initial success of quelling the counter-insurgency. Naturally, Botsman was under the close supervision of specialists from the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (and the FSB) of the Russian Federation. The Belarusian KGB and the Russian FSB work in very close cooperation and are bound by various agreements of cooperation, in particular, within the framework of the CIS and CSTO, in which informal arrangements allow the transfer of citizens or in this case; Intelligence operatives to reside in participating countries. After KGB in Belarus shut down RNU operations. Botsman would make the move to Russia and begin training with the FSB.
The Chechen Connection
With the large amount of Chechnya war veterans, (jaded by brutal conflicts first in 94 and then again in 99) coming back from the conflict with large amounts of mental baggage, a seismic shift in violent nationalism started beginning to take hold. Undiagnosed PTSD mixed with alcoholism created a popular dark underbelly in Russian society with a main theme of Islamaphobia and antisemitism. Mix that with Chechen rebel attacks and terrorism, anti-Chechen sentiment was quickly becoming a viral common denominator. Neo Nazi ideology and open racism was not only accepted but the norm in Russian society in the early 2000s, corrupting not only public life but politics as well. By 2003 it was estimated 100k Chechens fled the war, ending up in metropolitans like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Paranoia and altercations started becoming commonplace and thoughts within the Kremlin were beginning to follow suit. The shock of the collapse of the Soviet Union did not turn Russians into nationalists overnight, but the wars resulted in many Russian civilians, hundreds and thousands of miles away from the Caucus battlefield, starting to view all Caucasus people and by extension all Russian Muslims as aliens rather than compatriots.
Putin, along with GRU and FSB would use this opportunity to come up with a new asymmetrical operation whose main goal was to install draconian arrest laws and state overreach unlike anything the new fledgling “Democracy” has ever seen and would be the first step in Putin’s chess game of authoritarian rule and total control of the information sphere. Putin realized another unpopular Chechen conflict, instability in Georgia, and the changing political climate that would bring upon the Color Revolutions, would ruin his blossoming legacy and perhaps cripple Russia’s global standing. Putin would need the best minds around him in order to achieve his end result. Putin’s long-serving Svengali and creator of modern ‘Russki Mir’ Reflexive strategy; Vladislav Surkov, would be brought on as Putin’s “official” Presidential aid in 2004, and modern Russian Union would be born and the political ideology known as Putinism would begin to take hold.
Fearing political instability and a blossoming liberal undercurrent within Russian society, Surkov came out with a detailed plan of Active Measures, not only to control the Russian society at large but every former Soviet state as well. Surkov, who was born in Chechnya, knew that stability in the Caucasus could only be achieved through authoritarian heavy-handed rule. by a Moscow friendly puppet. The Kremlin partnered with a former rebel: Akhmet Kadyrov, who was indeed a reliable and well-compensated ally but not the trustworthy stalwart Surkov had in mind. Chechnya would need somebody young and impressionable that they could mold into the ultimate Moscow cheerleader.
On 9 May 2004, an explosion ripped through the VIP seating at the Dinamo football stadium during a mid-morning Soviet Victory day parade in the capital city of Grozny, instantly killing Kadyrov. Two of his bodyguards, the Chairman of the Chechen State Council, a Reuters journalist, and as many as a dozen others were also killed (a later report stated that more than 30 people had died). Though Shamil Basayev admitted he was paid $50k in cash for the attack, its not out of the realm of thinking to believe the Kremlin could have been behind the bombing.
Sensing problems, Surkov along with FSB and GRU would set in motion a wave of propaganda around the assassination of Ahkmet Kadyrov in order to eventually install the leader of the Kadyrov militia, his son Ramzan, (to whom Surkov was very close) to take the control. However, due to his age, he would not be able to take the reigns for another 3 years. A Putin loyalist and career bureaucrat Alu Alkhanov would be installed as Chechnya’s president, a placeholder until Ramzan turned 30 in 2007, the minimum age for the post.
Kadyrov and the men under his control had just crushed another armed group trying to take control of Chechnya, led by the two brothers, Ruslan and Sulim Yamadayev. That battle was also a proxy war between the two Russian intelligence services, the civilian FSB backing Kadyrov and the military GRU. The Yamadayevs were pushed out of Chechnya. In 2008 and 2009 each was assassinated, in turn in Moscow and Dubai. Ramzan Kadyrov then claimed that he was “70 percent certain” that Sulim Yamadayev (and by implication the GRU) had organized the assassination of his father. In reality, the FSB was in charge of the construction security of the stadium, to quote Chechen Colonel and member of Parliament Hussein Ishkanov: “Every day FSB was at the stadium with bomb-sniffing dogs, there is no way anyone other than FSB was responsible in the death of Kadyrov”, meaning that it’s certain that Ramzan not only knew about his father’s assassination but in fact had a hand in it as well.
Draconian Rule
In Moscow, Surkov and GRU (following up a successful Active Measures Psyop and the FSBs false flag Apartment block bombing terrorist attacks in 1999 that gave Putin his overwhelming popularity among the Russian public) would publicize the additional terrorist attacks by Chechen rebels, along with centralized Firehose propaganda to build fear and paranoia among the Russian public, allowing the Kremlin to install new counter-terrorism legislation in 2006. The new law gave Vladimir Putin full authority to send Russian special forces beyond Russian borders in order to combat terrorism for any reason and at any time. The language in the bill, fraught with vagueness, ambiguities, and definitional problems that destroy any meaningful checks and balances on Presidential power. That may be legal within the context of domestic law, Internationally, however, it clearly violates any legal norms. The statute envisions an extremely expansive scheme for extraterritorial police power that fringes on state sovereignty. The wording essentially gave Putin full justification for targeted killings and military strikes, violating the legal foundations of every internationally accepted norm. Putin would use this vague legislation to justify intervention in states that he claimed fostered Muslim extremism. In Ukraine however, Surkov would declare the threat of Neo-Nazis as terrorists and Ukraine a harborer of this terrorism.
The GRU unit 54777 propaganda and Psyop machine was hard at work convincing the world of this narrative. On top of the Chechen terrorist attacks, the 2006 Neo-Nazi terrorist bombing of Moscow’s Cherkizovsky Market would magnify the Russian Neo-Nazi movement, and would begin a string of violent and highly publicized attacks and murders on the unsuspecting Russian Muslim minorities, leading to his “tough on crime” platform for the Putin backed; Dmitry Medvedev 2008 Presidential campaign.
In December 2007 150 grams of TNT blew out the entrance to one of the floors of the underground trade center in Manezhnaya Square, the explosion was the work of Botsman himself. Coincidentally in 2008 arrests were made regarding a seperate 2006 terrorist attack, in which members of “The Savior” Neo Nazi militia were indicted. The leader of Savior happened to be an FSB officer named Nikolai Korolev who was co indicted with 6 other members (including a police officer) of his gang. Neo Nazi gangs were let to run unchecked with impunity for years with the direct help of the police and prosecutors, however, the brutality of this particular attack was different. The bombing killed 10 and injured 55 due to the result or mixup in the amount of TNT used. Savior was linked to numerous explosions before, without any victims, blowing up Azerbaijani-owned stores, an Armenian refugee hostel and an office of a Georgian-born fortune teller. Korolev, who was exposed as an FSB agent prior to the court proceedings would make headlines in Dec 2013 during Maidan when he began calling on Russian nationalists to head to Ukraine to support Right Sector. His popular blog, which he ran from prison, was instrumental in the recruitment of Russian Neo Nazis to join the newly formed Azov Battalion
In another incident in 2010, authorities in Orel detained members of a Neo Nazi gang named Primorye Guerillas who were also headed by an FSB agent. An autonomous group, the Orel gang engaged in subversive and terrorist activity that targeted both government agencies and the property belonging to “ethnic aliens” (in this particular case it was a cafe, but could also be a shop, a car, etc.) These actions were clearly intended as a demonstration: the leaflets, confirming their neo-Nazi agenda and declaring the group’s connection to the anti-state terrorist movement, were left at the crime scene.
From 2004 to 2012–509 people were killed and 3436 were injured or wounded by far-right/Neo-Nazi violence, however, according to SOVA Center, those are only “official” numbers, the actual number is actually 3 times that. Yet only 68 perpetrators were convicted.
The Kremlin fearing a public backlash, would eventually make examples of these runaway agents of chaos, and a warning to the numerous other Neo-Nazi gangs that the FSB was funding and protecting for years prior, the game was up and it was time to move shop. For Surkov, it was time to move this Nazi powder keg of violence away from Moscow and onto the streets of Ukraine, and in Donbas.
Surkov’s Nationalists
Vladislav Surkov’s idea of funding and directing football hooligans and Russian nationalists to attack Russian oppositionists began sometime in the late 90s and built a complicated power structure of siloviki-backed extremists. Some of them were especially bloody and overt. Surkov formed and financed Russkii Obraz, in which famed murderer and mastermind Illya Goryachev got his start. Russki Obraz collaborated closely with Pro-Kremlin youth organizations linked to Surkov’s Nashi (organized by Neo Nazi group OB88) and FSB run SPAS cable TV station dedicated to the promotion of Orthodox values. The Kremlin’s goal was called “Managed Nationalism”, basically switching the symbolism from Nazism to “Nashism”: traditional Russian imagery. The same racist ideology and white supremacy rhetoric but packaged in a more palatable Russian Orthodox symbol. Not a coincidence the ROC & Kirill himself would bring on Neo Nazi gang members under the protection of the church in order to promote Orthox recruitment. Named the Sorok Sorokov (40 40s) or the SS, Kirill would make them his praetorian guard and unofficial security of the ROC, as well as the new face of Ortho-Fascist Imperialism, but mainly it gave Kirill a new well of younger, dedicated followers to utilize.
SPAS TV would become a platform for famous anti-Ukrainian, Russian racists Alexander Dugin and Nataliya Narachinitskaya. SPAS also integrated and hired Russkii Obraz members. Outside of internal managed nationalism, it would also work with Ukrainian immigration services and Russian diaspora, who already relocated to Ukraine. Russkii Obraz worked to create a trojan horse of Russian nationalism in Donbas, a brilliant tactic to fill Ukraine with more pro-Russian immigrants. It also served essentially as a recruiting station for FSB informants sent to Ukraine. Ilya Goryachev who would eventually give birth to the Military Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN) in which he served as their leader from 2007–2010.
BORN’s kill list includes Federal Judge Eduard Chuvashov, antifascist activists Ivan Khutoskii and Ilya Dzhaparidz, Thai boxing world champion Muslim Abdullaev, the lawyer Stanislav Markelov, and Novaya gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova, directly linking Surkov and the Kremlin to many high profile murders. It would be BORNS co-founder Nikita Tikhonovs’ testimony in 2014 that would provide this link. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2011, however, appeals from the lawyers of Tikhonovs victims in 2021 would go public asking the courts to re-open the cold cases. Goryachev would also be found guilty in 2014. Some of the remaining members of BORN including FSB mole Roman Zheleznov aka Zukhel, would end up in Ukraine fighting for Azov, while others, would join Wagner and even start the now infamous Rusich Battalion. It can be easily deduced that BORN and their political wing Russki Obraz would be one of the main sources of right-wing extremists that not only gave rise to the Separatist movement in Eastern Ukraine in the occupied Donbas region, but fell into the Azov Movement as well. Separatist commander Alexander Matyushin who was responsible in the kidnapping and even murders of over 100 pro-Ukrainian civilians in Donbas, was quoted saying his goal was to create a pro-Russia militia equivalent to Al Qaeda and to create a new Russia or “Novorossiya” in East Ukraine.
In a 2021 interview, famed Russian Neo Nazi and former member of the Format 18 group; Dmitry Demushkin revealed details of how in 2014 he was invited by then Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, to gather nationalists to fight in Ukraine on the side of the Russian military.
Demushkin says he was initially approached by the FSB and Rogozin, promising that he personally would be made ‘mayor’ of one of the cities in Donbas. Demushkin refused. In the interview, he says that he does not recognize the ‘fight for a Russian World’ outside the Russian Federation and that, whenever they call on them to fight, it’s always against ‘Russians’. He explained that due to his involvement in the organization of the highly popular Russians for Russia march, Surkov felt relocating high profile Neo Nazis into Ukraine, would help with the “Ukraine is Fascist State” narrative they started pushing in the Western media during Maidan. But mainly it would be better that Nationaists end up in Ukraine killing each other, rather than organizing protests in Russia. Demushkin would be arrested in 2016 and sentenced to 2.5 years for inciting hatred.
In an ironic twist, after his release from prison, Demushkin was appointed mayor of the rural settlement Barvikhinskoye, Odintsovsky District, a suburb of Moscow in 2019. This violent Neo Nazi, who was the head of the gang Slavic Union, switched to the political party “Russkiye” during Managed Nationalism. Even ran for President in 2018 on a white supremacist platform, now representing the Communist party. However, he was just arrested again in 2023 for participating in an opposition podcast.
NSO
Now back to Botsman…..In 2001, after the Belarus chapter of RNU was disbanded, Botsman would end up relocating, and begin operating in Russia. According to Ivan Beletsky’s Kremlin sources, we can confirm he Botsman was being trained as a part of the FSB Alpha Group, Special Purpose Center from 2001–2003, all while organizing and training militant extremists at the same time. In 2004 he would go on to co-found his own militia, the “National Socialist Society” (NSO). The organization was initially a creation of former member of the Slavic Union and assistant to State Duma deputy Dmitry Rumyantsev. Despite the overt signs of being an extremist group, equipped with large Nazi banners with swastikas, not to mention Botsman providing combat training with automatic weapons while preaching the theory of racial and national superiority of Russians as the titular nation, NSO would never be touched or investigated for extremism, in fact it would be protected by police (until 2010), Precisely because the National Socialist Society was allowed to run around untouched that would begin rumors of it being an FSB operation.
NSO members received training similar to that of the army special forces, with paramilitary units promoting the ideas of National Socialism, with an affinity for Hitler and odd neutrality to Vladimir Putin. NSO believed Putin has made strides for Russia, but has been corrupted by Western influence and Jewish politicians. They were advocating for a more Nationalist hard-line President, who would empty Russia of Jews, Muslims, and dark-skinned minorities, while bringing back the glory of a Russian superpower.
NSO co-founder Dmitry Rumyantsev worked for his brother Oleg Rumyantsev, a high-ranking Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation with direct links to Vladimir Putin and the Siloviki. The NSO would stand apart from all other Neo Nazi groups due to their deep pockets, in which Botsman was running the financial operations and salaries to the organization. Open sources estimated the NSO would go through 55 million dollars throughout its existence, giving reporters the assumption that the NSO was indeed a pet project of Surkov and funded by the Kremlin. NSO’s benefactor was Maxim Gritsay, who funneled money through an aid organization for disabled Russian veterans. He also ran the All-Russian Public Organization of Disabled Persons, “Fakel” which was engaged in funneling money from recieved grants directly from the Putin Administration.
Who is Gritsay? On the one hand, Maxim Gritsai is a member of the deputy association of the UNITED RUSSIA party, member of commissions: on budget and tax policy; on urban management, construction and ecology, as well as the president of the All-Russian Public Organization of Disabled People “Fakel”, a humanist and public figure, a fighter for the civil rights of socially vulnerable citizens. Marked with gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation. Who was known for his philanthropy and public charity work for children. On the other hand, thanks to open sources, we now know he also ran the FSB Veterans fund, listed as the main contact for FUND FOR VETERANS OF 3 DIVISIONS OF MILITARY COUNTERINTELLIGENCE BODIES. Location: Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo, Moscow. Gritsay it seems would be involved in funding black ops and off-book FSB operations for years. He would be directly traced to Botsman’s bank accounts in Russia, up until Botsman was already in Ukraine working directly under the tutelage of Arsen Avakov after the Azov Battalion disbanded by 2015.
Credit For Murder
On August 12, 2007, a video titled “Execution of a Dag and a Tajik” appeared on the Internet. In the video, two tied-up men say to the camera that they’ve been “arrested by Russian National Socialists,” then several unknown persons in balaclavas cut off one prisoner’s head with a knife and kill the other with a shot in the back of the head, all in front of a flag with a swastika. In an online statement, The killers identified themselves as members of NSO who claimed they were operating under the direction of Rumyantsev, who they demanded to be installed as President. However, the statement was obviously created to hide the identity of the actual killers and to put pressure on Rumyantsev in the media, making him a top suspect. A month later, a different statement was released by an unknown gang (NSDR) who claimed it was actually not NSO but in fact them who were behind the murders. Despite media attention and public outcry, the police refused to investigate it and the FSB, who ignored the murders for months, eventually arrested members of Slavic Union, who had absolutely nothing to do with it.
In reality, the murder allegedly involved members of “Format-18” and members of the NSO, who cooperated at the time. Directly involved in the murder were “Tesak” Martsinkevich and Maxim Bazylev, under the directions of Botsman. The video, originally thought to be a fake, showed that the murders were different than other hit-and-run assaults. This one was calculated and well-rehearsed and instantly propagated, making it seem it was made purposely for propaganda or psychological manipulation purposes. Even more, it seemed it was done to expose Kompromat on Rumyantsev and his politician brother and Duma member Oleg (who actually wound up disowning his brother Dmitry). At the time, police investigators were silent, the video was one of the first viral pieces shared on the internet in Russia, giving the Kremlin a wider and more broad playing field, no longer were they handcuffed to news agencies and shill reporters. Now, a video, a quote, or a narrative, could be shared by millions without any filtration or oversight by an institution.
The video sparked a wave of targeted attacks and killings of minorities, released specifically to coincide with Putin/Medvedev campaign rhetoric in March 2008. Copycat videos were popping up everywhere, proving the timing of the release was done strategically, taking advantage of the new technology and unregulated internet. The new concept of social media was just in its infancy in Russia as well. Narratives quickly sprouted that the Neo Nazi problem was getting out of control and more laws needed to be installed to curb this problem. The future laws would prohibit any political groups of people from conjugating together, any political group or Liberal opposition the Kremlin would disagree with would be called a Nazi or fascist.
Eventually, after a 2015 movie (Credit For Murder by Israeli director/investigator and former IDF Special Forces sniper Vladi Antonevicz), about the 2 still unsolved murders was released, highlighting all the parties involved. Antonevicz (who has jokingly denied he is Mossad), pretended he was filming a documentary for an American Neo-Nazi organization, and spent years undercover working on this story, embedding himself with Russia’s most notorious Neo-Nazi gangs. He uncovered corruption, cover-ups, and proof of Kremlin involvement in the actual murders themselves. However, despite the evidence, nobody would ever be charged. Russian police arrested Tesak in 2007 on a completely unrelated charge of making racist comments in a public setting, he would serve over 4 years. Botsman who was believed to be behind the camera was never even mentioned. (Though Tesak allegedly was about to testify the day before he was murdered, claiming it was Botsman on camera) The murder was continually used to ramp up public paranoia and to garner public trials of violent criminals leading up to the Presidential elections in 2008 and beyond.
The Vanishing
The 2009 trial of 13 NSO-North members would dominate Russian media. Charged with 27 gruesome murders, including the videotaped dismemberment of one of their own, would unearth a highly complex organization, run more like a corporation and private military company, than the gang of thugs and skinheads the public was expecting. A video was played, a whistling man grabs a corpse and begins whittling off its left ear. Then he starts sawing at the neck, beginning an hour-long process of dismemberment. The video, was a recording of the gruesome torture and execution of Nikolai Melnik, a NSO member who had run foul of the NSO gang code: “He didn’t belong fully to our group, didn’t share our ideas and goals and wanted to play us against each other,” according to the testimony of one of the alleged killers, Vladislav Tamamshev.
NSO knew they had a rat, unfortunately for Melnik, the real rat was their beloved and highly respected leader (Botsman) who disappeared months before. NSOs current leader and Tesak’s best friend, Maksim Bazylev, (who took over after Botsman and Rumyantsev left in 08) would be found dead in his cell with his wrists slit, the day before he was supposed to testify on how he ended up with over $5 million dollars in a bank account, with a payroll of NSO members, that received $750 a month. However this was no ordinary jail cell. He was in a highly guarded holding facility of the FSB at Petrovka Street 38 — the Interior Ministry’s Moscow HQ. It was listed as a suicide. Though the security footage vanished as well. The prosecutors painted Bazylev as the leader and mastermind of the organization, in reality, he was one of the few NSO members who figured out Botsmans true identity and split off from NSO to start his own organization NSO-North in 2006. A few days later Dmitry Nestorov, a close friend of Basylev, committed suicide. According to to other NSO member’s statements, at one point Nestorov and Basylev were planning on getting rid of Botsman before Botsman vanished and its can be assumed Basylev intrusted Nestrorov with the details about the rat inside NSO, and his participation in the beheading video/double murder.
The 2009 trial of NSO-North shocked the Russian community with the utter bloody carnage of the group and Russian Neo Nazi movement altogether. The truth of Botsman wouldn’t come out till 12 years later
Botsman disappeared before the arrests, and Rumyantsev, with his Duma connections and protection from the Siloviki of the FSB, was never even mentioned in court. In an 2010 Financial Times (FT) interview he distanced himself from Bazilev, claiming that he had no idea how the finances worked, and that Bazilev was brought in by Botsman, who appeared from nowhere after Rumyantsev founded the organization in 2004: “He simply showed up to our first meeting and expressed a desire to participate.” Botsman was involved both in the leadership and running the training programs the NSO was notorious for — hand-to-hand combat, knife-fighting, and marksmanship. They practiced at an abandoned construction project in Moscow’s Khorvino neighborhood, learning special forces-style fighting techniques. “I don’t know where Malyuta (Botsman) learned these skills,” said Rumyantsev. “There is a lot about his biography I don’t know.” Rumyantsev also said that Botsman had introduced him to a friendly businessman who offered the NSO free office space and a training room.
In 2008, just as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared, Malyuta/Botsman vanished. “I don’t know if he is still alive, or any information about him,” said Rumyantsev. “I wanted the NSO to be a political organization, not a military one,” but gradually, he complained, the radicals got the better of him. “The NSO stopped being a political organization and simply became a bandit gang.”
The 2010 FT investigation into NSO concluded that “they emerged not only as a terror group with a significant propaganda function, but most importantly, one with numerous and not altogether transparent relationship with Russia’s political and law-enforcement establishment.” Little did they know the level of involvement and operational oversight linked to Surkov and the Kremlin, however it is believed Putin had very little knowledge of the operations.
Tesak
Botsman would be involved on a few other terrorist attacks in 2007 after the murders, however, due to the heat from the killings, Botsman high-tailed it to Belarus, in where he started checking back in with the KGB, eventually ending up in South America in 2009, operating with mercenary groups set up by the GRU, subordinated directly to Chief of Staff Nikolay Makarov. These mercenaries were a precursor to Wagner and opened up a new method of operations, giving the Kremlin plausible deniability in any and all military action across not only S. America but Africa and Eastern Europe as well. In 2013 Botsman would reconnect with his old colleague Tesak, who was out of jail from charges unrelated to the murders. unbeknownst to Tesak, it was Botsman who instigated the arrest in order to take control of Tesak’s organization Format 18.
After prison, Tesak had no clear ambition or goals, so he became famous for his anti-LGBT violence. He would kidnap homosexual men and torture them on camera for Youtube, and his Occupy Pedophilia movement was used as an excuse to attack gay pride events and made him a popular name in the Right-wing extremist groups around the world. Tesak and Botsman would be found promoting a new Russian nationalistic project movement named Restrukt. The organization, which was the brainchild of Andrei Viktorovich Loginov, a long time Kremlin string-puller who served as Chief of the Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation on Domestic Policy from 1997–2000 and then Appointed Deputy Chief of the Government Staff (Russian Federation in the State Duma) in 2012. Under the direction of Surkov, It was Loginov (and Restrukt) who planned out the operation of funneling Russian Neo Nazis into Ukraine with the end goal of forming an influential Ukrainian militia. Under the direction of Loginov, Restrukt and Botsman would transport Russian nationalists to Ukraine to participate in military actions on the side of Right Sector and eventually the Azov militia. Due to strict Ukrainian laws banning Russian nationalists and criminals from entering the country, Restrukt would use its network of Kremlin collaborators in Ukraine from within its security services (SBU) to work around unsuspecting border and immigration officials.
In Dec 2013 Tesak and Botsman would escape to Ukraine where they vandalized EU buildings, desecrated NATO/EU flags, and attacked gay men on the streets of Kyiv. An International arrest warrant would be issued on Tesak, they would travel to Cuba in January 2014, where both of them were arrested by local authorities and deported back to Russia. In reality, Botsman eventually traveled back to Ukraine to join Right Sector. It would later be discovered that Botsman actually tipped off the FSB onto Tesak’s location after stealing and hiding Tesak’s passport, eventually coordinating the arrest with the Cuban Secret Police.
Bilingua Club
Tesak was first arrested for a minor provocation at the Bilingua club in Moscow February 2007. At that time, the club hosted political debates between journalists Yulia Latynina and Maxim Kononenko. Suddenly, between 15 to 20 NSO and Format-18 activists led by Tesak and flanked by Botsman and Rumyantsev, turned up at the club. Tesak demanded a microphone and, when the host refused, started yelling, “Negroes… we have killed and will continue to kill” and threatened to “hang all liberals”.
The debates were organized and moderated by Aleksey Navalny, who filed a complaint against Tesak and his friends for continuously shouting “Sieg Heil” and raising their hands in a Nazi salute. At the time, some conjectured (and others outright claimed) that Navalny had invited Tesak to liven up the scene and cause a controversy. Navalny’s complaint, at any rate, led to Tesak’s arrest and conviction. Navalny, was openly criticized, claiming he stood for political opposition and free thought while at the same time trying to get Tesak arrested for “freedom of speech”. Apart from dissent, there is nothing to impute to Tesak for the episode in “Bilingua”. His outburst was brief and not particularly aggressive.
“I feel great satisfaction from the fact that once again I see that the real fight against fascism and provocations on national grounds is carried out by normal Russian nationalists, to whom I consider myself. — Aleksy Navalny
Information would surface that would reveal that it was actually Botsman, under the direction of the FSB, who organized their first and only trip to the debate club, with the goal of surveilling & provoking the opposition journalists and starting a case file on Navalny, who at the time was a rising start in the Yabloko Party. The arrest gained abnormally high amounts of media coverage, and Tesak would eventually get a 3 year sentence, for an incident that only called for a 1 year probation. Navalny would be arrested for a different incident just a few months later after a debate at Gogol Club led to a physical argument related to the events in Bilingua, the altercation spilled over into the streets of Moscow, resulting in a gun being pulled.
In September of 2020 Tesak was found dead in his cell in a pre-trial detention center №3 in Chelyabinsk, where he had been behind bars since 2014. Listed as a suicide, it was revealed that Botsman arranged the killing of his former best friend due to the fact that Tesak was testifying against Botsman and revealing the truth about the whole incident, which would implicate the FSB. The Autopsy photos showed Tesak was tortured, having his Toe nails removed, with evidence of electric shock on his legs.
One month later Tesak’s comrade in arms Artem Kostyle was found dead In the forest near Krasnogorsk. With police ruling it a suicide. The body, was found by a mushroom picker who noticed a body hanging from a tree. The noose used was a Boatsmans knot, (Botsman’s calling card). At the beginning of the 2000s, both Tesak and Kostylev were members of the People’s National Party (PNP), it is believed he grew up with Tesak but was inactive from the far right scene for some time. There is almost no material on his pages on social networks. However, on the Profi.ru service one could find Kostylev’s profile — he was advertised as a tattoo artist, engaged in artistic tattooing and covering up old tattoos. Everything else was scrubbed off the internet. What is known was that Tesak was in communication with him up during his incarceration and visited him in person before his death.
Despite Botsman’s denials, video eventually surfaced in 2021 of Botsman speaking with FSB handlers, bragging how it was he that set up Tesak. Botsman continues his denial of any involvement in Tesak’s death, calling it “FSB” propaganda and digitally edited. It is also believed that the videotaped murder of the 2 young Muslims was organized by the Grey Cardinal himself Vladislav Surkov personally. Surkov created a huge fervor in the Russian public around the “out of control” Nazi problem to justify the expansion of the State Security Services and budget increases for the FSB and GRU that coincided with the 2008 Presidential elections.
Easy to be Ukrainian
To quote a source from the GRU:
“the (Presidential) Administration was interested in having Russian-speaking right-wing radicals on the side of Ukraine during the military aggression for propaganda purposes inside the Russian Federation in order to cause hatred and aggression against the Ukrainian side through the media”
The mission was clear and the connection is direct: the Administration (of President Putin) through Loginov, (who oversaw operations of the Center for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation) supplied the Russian nationalists, in which one of the leaders of Azov (Botsman) would receive the nationalists on the territory of Ukraine”.
In Ukraine, after originally joining Right Sector, Botsman would connect with Andrey Biletski and the Patriots of Ukraine opposition group, (which later would become Azov) under the direct instructions of Arsen Avakov (Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine) he would be recommended to Avakov by the SBU, who at the time was still operating in cooperation with FSB (due to prior policy for ex-Soviet State communication). He would stand out in the battlefield, providing pivotal intelligence that turned the tied of the combat operations in Mariupol, then in November, Botsman would negotiate with FSB agent Alexander Usovsky, (who organized pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian demonstrations in Eastern Europe) who operating clandestinely in Ukraine drumming up support of a new coup d’etat against Poroshenko, in which Botsman was against, but mentions that he is an opponent of Ukraine’s accession to NATO. It was clear that Usofsky was the go-between for the FSB high command, who were interested in manufacturing a Third Maidan. Botsman also made statements to suggest he was in possession of classified information that he was sending to Russia, and suggested that he had access to a cache of documents from the General staff of Ukraine that he was willing to provide for money. In February-March 2017, the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance published letters from Usovsky to Botsman, in particular, leaked his November 2014 Facebook correspondence with Sergei Botsman Korotkikh, who kept an account under the pseudonym “Zakhar Lavrentiev.” Usovsky suggested carrying out a new coup d’état, but Korotkikh refused:
“Sasha, we are already a regiment. We are already the leadership of the militia of the Kyiv region. Why do we need a revolution if we’re coming into power without slaughter?” -wrote Botsman
“I’m driving more contraband into the Bessarabia region right now.” “[The Russian leadership] constantly makes mistakes. They invested in Tyagnibok*, and that was a dead project, they thought and walked around [Dmitry] Yarosh** [Right Sector], and I told Denis in May that he was a soap bubble and was right,” Korotkikh wrote to Usovsky.
In total, the name “Denis” appeared 885 times in Usovsky’s messages with various people. This name almost always appeared next to the surname “Loginov,” which is mentioned 786 times.. Denis Loginov was the son Andrey Loginov and headed the Restrukt branch in Moscow with Maxim Tesak Martsinkevich. The hacked emails also unearthed evidence that Botsman was privy to classified intel and access to documents of the General Staff of Ukraine.
What’s also interesting is the uncovered interviews with Botsman, he was clearly proud of his support of Putin, even stating the the real enemy of Ukraine is “Biden, Soros, and the Democratic Party” and that there was no reason in joining the EU. It was clear Botsman’s motives contributed to the rise in power of the so-called “Dnepropetrovsk clan”, which would turn Ukraine’s political course away from the EU and the USA towards the Russian Federation. He would even support the election of Zelensky in 2019, as it was first thought that Zelensky would be a favorable candidate for the Kremlin due to his links to to Kholomoisky and the “Dnepropetrovsk clan”, who at the time were financing Zelensky’s run for office
* A 2016 investigation uncovered Oleg Tyagnibok/Tiahnybok of Svaboda was receiving payments from Paul Manafort and Yanukovych under the directions of FSB
** The GRU hacked the 2014 election to try and install Dmitry Yarosh of Right Sector as President in order to delegitimize Maidan as a fascist uprising
The biggest misconception in the media is the belief that it was Andrey Biletsky who started Azov. The reality is actually more complicated, It was Botsman’s money, intelligence and military background that was the focal point of Azov’s military beginnings. Azov was partly created by FSB agent Botsman and his loyal Russian contingent which included two Georgian commanders- Bakhva Chikobava ( died defending Mariupol ) and Georgy Kuparashvili (seriously wounded while defending Mariupol). However it was the internal issues and infighting, including the rumors of FSB informants and infiltration that led to the Azov Battalion disbandment by 2015.
Botsmans emergence in Ukraine is also an awkward coincidence if not a mystery, that just a few weeks prior to him pledging allegiance to the Ukrainian state, he for years saw Ukraine as a myth, a place corrupted by Western lies and propaganda that needs to be beaten into submission. Imagine the laughter in Moscow by the ruling class of FSB, GRU, Surkov and the Russian nationalists who knew Mayluta better than their own mothers. The ones who watched Mayluta transform into a another entity and become the “Ukrainian loving Botsman of Azov.” The questions of this transformation alone would require a novel or movie.
Noteworthy that upon his arrival to Ukraine, with his vast military experience, Right Sector refused to accept him and his presence in Ukrainian circles was met with contempt and distrust, he was left unwanted and looking for an insider introduction. His admission to Azov was met with disdain and pullback as well. The main battalion was still just forming and some refused to work with him, obviously because knowledge of his Moscow adventures would smell of Russian deception and corpses. So why, how, did he get in with Biletsky and the Patriots of Ukraine?
Botsman quickly realized that those who could not be cheated could be bought. The one main thing Botsman took out of his operations in Russia was his financial connections from the FSB, in which he took millions upon leaving Russia. The exact details of the arrangement are unknown, Botsmans’ inclusion into the group that would become Azov would be purchased for cash and caches of weapons available immediately and desperately needed by the Patriots of Ukraine. One thing is for certain, all of Azov’s financial troubles would disappear forever the day after Botsman arrived. The propagated myth of Igor Kolomoyski financing Azov would detract any suspicion, and the Russian media loves to run the story of the Jewish oligarch controlling a Neo-Nazi battalion, however, Kolmoyski’s financial contribution was barely enough for uniforms, let alone military hardware.. In just 48 hours Azov went from being a few guys who just got out of jail, with not a penny to their name, to a fully financed militia, a Ukrainian version of Hezbollah, armed to the teeth, ready to beat back the 2nd most powerful army in the world.
Botsman would train this group of misfits, not only in the art of war, but also the art of looting, racketeering and smuggling. Ukraine had no real street crime, no cartel, nothing organized, just dumb soccer hooligans “Ultras” and mafia thug types, but nothing overtly brutal and gangster and organized. Botsman would fill the void, doing what he did for the FSB in Moscow when he ran the NSO; ramp up crime, organize corruption, payoffs, murder and pillage, all to benefit one person, himself, oh and in the long run, Putin. The Russian propaganda machine would magnify anything Azov, and almost immediately the press would run the stories of Ukrainian Neo-Nazi criminals.
Azov would stand out among all the other Ukrainian nationalist organizations, especially in the beginning. The Russians that joined Azov were promoting Russian Rodnover Paganism as opposed to Christianity, Hitler not Bandera, and were pushing pro-Russian immigration policies and openly recruiting Russian nationalists. The original members were majority ethnic Russian speakers, and half were actual Russian citizens and recent ex-pats. It is estimated throughout the years, hundreds of Russian-born citizens fought on the side of Azov Movement. Many, with criminal records that should of prevented them from leaving Russia, and some, suspiciously released early from prison altogether, somehow started appearing in Ukraine.
Nobody was immune to the corruption, not the police, especially not the Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who was clandestinely monitoring some of the nationalist militias. He was hailed by the corrupt few as a Ukrainian Nationalist hero, but in the clandestine underworld, nothing but a stooge, who would try and build his own private security force using Yanukovych’s much despised ex-Berkut officers and Neo Nazis. Avakov would even give his son Oleksander to be Botsman’s wingman in this new crimewave of terror linked to the Russian state mafia and work closely with infamous Ukrainian traitor Ilya Kiva.
So how did Botsman finance his crimewave? By none other than Donbas oligarch billionaire Rinat Akhmetov. Paperwork uncovered by investigative journalists, found payments to Botsman for the amount of $600k USD month. But why?
Akhmetov owned 30 businesses, so $600k USD a month was a drop in the bucket to guarantee security. A mafia-style protection fund that was really just a bribe to be left alone. It pays to profit from a problem that you helped create, Botsman learned this from his years in Russian underworld and intelligence training. creating problems and situations that he could easily manipulate. Putin and Surkov would be proud. This would be only one of the many examples of this mafia-style shakedown operation of Botsmans.
Botsman’s on the field successes and valuable leadership with Azovs recon unit. Thanks to Avakov, he would be granted citizenship, President Poroshenko, (who was obviously oblivious to Botsmans clandestine history) personally thanked Botsman in which he would receive a Ukrainian passport. Once he received his passport in May 2015, he took the position of head of a new police division, guarding “objects of strategic value,” (private bodyguard) a role he held until 2017. According to an asset declaration he filed in 2015, he had bought two apartments in Kyiv in cash, an L-39 Albatros tactical jet trainer, and had in total nearly a million dollars. Many critics of Botsman believe that his fighting and military leadership days ended the day he got his passport. Since then his actions were only in his own best interest, or under Russias instructions. By Avakov giving him a badge it was just making it easier to mange their smuggling operation in Odesa and to further purge Ukraine for the corrupt institution of the Dnipro Klan of the Avakovs and Igor Kolomoysky. Another interesting fact is that Avakov’s other corrupt understudy Ilya Kiva, served under Avakov and was privately working with Botsman and Avakov’s son. Publically however the 2 would spar and create open provocations against each other. Kiva would keep up this charade until his death in Russia, it’s still not clear how much of the Kiva vs Botsman feud was real or just just staged theater.
Azov itself was plagued with internal conflict. The passports and citizenship promised to the Russian volunteers by Poroshenko never materialized. Other than Botsman, the Russian Neo-Nazis of Azov were left in limbo and banned from joining the newly formed Azov Brigade of the National Guard. The parliament and members of GRU would openly confront Avakov for allowing unvetted Russian extremists and FSB informants into Ukraine. Since the early success in Mariupol, Azov would never fight as a cohesive unit ever again. Instead fractured into several pieces with no clear leadership and with the newly formed Ukrainian army version of the Azov “Brigade” further distancing themselves from the infighting of the Azov Movement.
With the newly formed brigade forced by Poroshenko to clean up their image, they would, at least on face value, ban any participation with Movement and began heavily vetting recruits, only allowing Ukrainian citizens and banning any far-right/paganistic, Nazi imagery and tattoos. In 2017 Denys Prokopenko, a born-again Laestadian and reformed “Ultra” soccer hooligan, became the commander of the Azov Regiment. Botsman would take control of the Kharkiv criminal element of Azov Movement, starting his own National Corp, which included many of his dedicated followers, Russian nationalists and rejected original Azov veterans who were not allowed to join the Regiment.
Botsman would also start another project Tradition and Order with Bogdan Khodakovsky, the nephew of Alexander Khodakovsky, the leader of the Russian Vostok Battalion and a key figure in the military of DPR. In 2020 Tradition and Order were involved with numerous questionable provacations in 2020, including the desecration of EU and NATO flags under the directions of Botsman himself. The goal of these random acts of vandalism was to further divide EU support for Ukraine integration, to limit lethal military and to publicize anti-West sentiment on Russian propaganda channels.
Boatsmans Knot
In July 2015, as we mentioned in the beginning of the story, one of the leaders of Azov was found dead, listed as a suicide. Yarolslav Babich, the lawyer, and ideologist for Azov was found hanging on a wall in front of portraits of his 3 children. According to Babich’s widow, the Botsman and Babich were at odds over finances and Botsmans smuggling operation in Odessa, however, sources believe it was Babich’s suspicion of Botsman’s ties to Russian intelligence that sealed his fate. The Police ruled his death by asphyxiation, however, the rope used had a boatsman’s knot, or a “Boatswain” which was Sergey Kortkikh’s long-time call name. Babich was categorically against Botsmans criminal schemes, especially when it came to light that Botsman was involved in targeted killings in Kyiv on behalf of the FSB. Information came forward that it was in fact confirmed it was under direct instructions from the Russian Federation of the liquidation of Babich.
The truth of what happened has reverberations still to this day. Botsmans criminal behavior was too much for Babich, who would approach members of Azov and plan a sit-down to put an end to the “angry dwarf’s” (Babich’s nickname for Botsman) criminal shenanigans which he felt was a betrayal of Ukraine: that robbing, stealing and terrorizing the Ukrainian people was not in line with Azovs ideological morals. Azov was getting bad press thanks to Russian reports of firehose propaganda, painting a picture of a criminal Ukrainian Neo Nazi Battalion, all while it was Botsman and his crew of Russian misfits from Azov’s Misanthropic division who were behind the majority of the acts. Babich had police bulletins and newspapers piled up on his desk, including his connections to Russian intelligence. He would confront Biletsky, blaming him for this madness by bringing in Botsman into the fold, turning Azov into a mafia organization, robbing and stealing from the Ukrainian people they swore to protect. Babich would give Biletsky an ultimatum, “it’s either Botsman or me”. He would announce his splinter into a new organization, more patriotic and sincere, without all this criminal behavior. All of Azov’s executive staff sided with Babich and resigned along with 14 other members, with the intention of breaking off into their own battalion, wanting to distance from Botsman and his Russian criminal ways.
Babich was found dead the next day, hanging naked on the wall in front of his children’s photos. All the files and dirt that Babich found on Botsman would go missing as well, his computer’s hard drives were gutted or erased. The crime scene so gruesome and personal, Babich’s own wife would not be allowed in the room. Babich’s wife would file 10 motions, including signed confessions of injured members of Babich’s security detail, witness statements, all would be ignored by the orders of Botsman’s FSB connections inside SBU, including the Interior Ministry and Arsen Avakov. Whats worse is Biletsky would cover for Botsman and would parrot the police’s initial findings that the death was sexual in nature: “accidental suicide by asphyxiation”. Worse than that, it is that Biletsky himself double cross Babich by calling him prior to him being executed, asking Babich to let in 2 of his men to pick up paperwork. Paranoid, Babich was locked in his office like a fortress, and only let the men in because of his blind trust for Biletsky. Babich would be murdered, tricked by Biletsky, a man he trusted. By the hands of the Russian madman sent to Ukraine as an agent of chaos and madness. The biggest problem for any Ukrainian prosecutors is that Biletsky is culpable, so is Avakov. Both guilty of not only covering up for the Botsman, but sanctioning the murder. Several other investigations into Botsman would be derailed by the Minister of Interior and the First Deputy of the National Police; Vadym Troyan. Troyan who was the former Chief of Staff of Azov Battalion was a close personal ally of Avakovs’ and even served as his Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs from 2017–19. Biletsky and Avakovs fear that a public backlash would reveal not only Botsmans link to the Kremlin, but expose their corruption could somehow be linked to him as well.
Botsman was also linked of the murder and kidnappings of prominent journalists. Including the popular Belarusian-born anti-Lukashenko/Putin critic; Pavel Sheremet, whose car exploded on the streets of Kyiv in July of 2016. Though arrests were made of 3 individuals in 2019 by the SBU, many believe it was the corrupt, Russian-friendly, splinter cell of FSB infiltrators within the SBU, under the direction of Botsman, who were the real culprits. In April of 2021 the National Police would announce that new evidence came to light in the form of audio recordings dating back to 2012, however, the evidence was thrown out shortly thereafter. The National Police along with the Interior Ministry would make a statement that the right culprits were arrested. In September 2021, the judge involved with Sheremet investigation; Vitaliy Pisanets was found murdered in a home in central Kyiv. Authorities were tight-lipped on the incident, but rumors that poison synonymous with previous FSB assassinations was the cause of death.
Throughout the years Botsman gained political popularity and influence due to appearances on Viktor Medvechuk and Tsargrad linked TV channels, which were inherently Pro-Russian. Botsman, though spewing anti-Putin rhetoric, would first and foremost repeat Kremlin narratives of anti-Nato and anti-West propaganda. Stating the real enemy of the Ukrainian people was Biden and George Soros as well as the Democratic Party of the US. Though his open stance on media was always pro-Ukrainian, the underlying tone of his support for Russia would be obvious, though his verbiage was in retroactive form, referring to the amazing Russian life in the 2000s. Despite his overwhelming denials, anyone today who would watch his old appearances on TV, would obviously notice the same catchphrases used by Russian propaganda and right-wing media today. Botsman in 2019 would set up protests and demonstrations against Poroshenko Bloc, trying to stir chaos and turn public opinion towards a group of Neo Nazi nationalists called the Dnepropetrovsk Klan, who were openly calling for more cooperation with the Russian Federation instead of NATO. The financier of the group is none other than much despised Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoyski, who partly funded the Azov battalion and other right-wing groups in 2014. Botsman and his Nationa Corp would also instigate open provocations with former MP and infamous turncoat Ilia Kyva and his Patriots For Life members, even though Kyva, for years would work as a deputy for Arsen Avakov, and Avakovs son, Oleksander was running illegal schemes (and close friends) with both Kyva and Botsman.
After the election of Zelensky in 2019, (of whom Kolomoyski was the main benefactor) the Zelensky Administration publicly started reaching out for US support and walking a fine line to appease the anti-West Nationalist backers, who were pushing for more cooperation with Russia, (to the point Zelensky was even called a Russian collaborator) After the election, “Servant of the People” actually did suspend European integration. Medvechuck who was a close ally of Putin, would even promote Zelensky on his media services prior to the election, promoting the mass struggle against American Influence. When it was discovered that Zelensky was actually working back-door negotiations with the US in 2020, the Russian Federation realized that Zelenksky was too unpredictable and was purging the SBU of FSB informants.
Botsman however predicted this and started open provocations with SBU. Botsman, like many Ukrainian Nationalists, was at the time an opportunist, but would easily fall under the category of “Agent Provocateur”, with no clear belief system, other than chaos and instability, which was, in fact, one of Surkovs main goals in the Ukrainian Federation. The Kremlin knew that the eventual disintegration of political ideology would be the easiest way of gaining more influence in Ukraine, as long as everyone is fighting each other, Russia believed eventually they would be able to come in to pick up the pieces. The only objective Russia had was to make Ukraine so corrupt and unpredictable, a nation full of “Nazis” and corrupt administration, that no one in their right mind would accept them into the EU, let alone NATO. Their information war is still pushing the “Nazi” NATO enlargement”, warmongering narratives in the media. The only problem was that Zelensky was Jewish, a hard sell for propaganda, but ironically the “Zionist” Jewish Nazis” was an active measure pushed by the KGB since the 60s.
Botsman would continue to try and manipulate his National Corp and other organizations in favor of relations with Russia, however, the Ukrainian public would grow tired of the Nationalist movement, and by 2021, right-wing groups were completely out of power and losing their political sphere of influence. Russia was quickly losing any chance to install a puppet regime, let alone control Zelensky.
The Belarusian House
In 2020 Botsman would also spend time promoting Belarusian House with Belarusian exile Vitaly Shyshov and popular MMA fighter and ex-Azov member Rodion Batulin . What is the Belarusian House? Well, after Alexander Lukashenko falsified the results of the Belarusian presidential election in the summer of 2020 and illegally seized power in the country, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets to protest his regime. They were met with harsh repressions, prison sentences for protesters, and even murders of activists. As a result, many Belarusians have fled the country, including to Ukraine. During that time many organizations started popping up all over Eastern Europe in direct response to the influx of political asylum seekers. Organized by Belarus dissidents, they would work on initiatives, demonstrations, and provide information about events in Belarus as well updates on the life of the Belarusian diaspora in Ukraine. They would work with Human rights organizations and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties and provide foundational aid for Belarusians who immigrated to Ukraine. The popular Belarusian House was one of these organizations.
Vitaly Shishov arrived in Ukraine as part of the wave of Belarusians fleeing the Lukashenko regime. He began actively taking part in demonstrations held in Kyiv in support of Belarusians, and at one of them he met Rodion Batulin. Batulin is an MMA fighter from Latvia who has been living in Ukraine for several years. Together, the two decided to create an initiative that would help Belarusian refugees in Ukraine with many facets of absorption, including offering temporary lodgings in the hostel connected to the organization, for those in need. Batulin became a visible person in Botsman’s circle. During the presidential campaign in 2019, he attacked the bodyguards of then-president Poroshenko. This campaign against Poroshenko was, at the time, driven by the right-wing National Corps organization, rumored to have links to Arsen Avakov. Batulin also participated in skirmishes against the far-right organization “Honor” — they were direct enemies of Botsman even though they too spun off the Azov Battalion structure. Batulin was also present at the attack against the ‘pride rave’ held near the Office of the President in Kyiv near the end of July 2021.
Shishov, the face of the organization, would be a popular name within the Belarusian and Ukrainian civil rights communities. However, Like many things related to the far right in Ukraine, nothing is at it seems. Botsman who had no official role in the organizations, would work with Batulin in gathering personal information on all members coming in from Belarus. Using forms that gather a large amount of personal data: full names, dates of birth, passport data, even information about prior convictions, religious beliefs, political views, all the way to participation in other civil organizations. Several people who filled out the form have been blackmailed by Belarus House management, demanding that they support some chosen political demonstrations. Botsman and Batulin would also shake down immigrants for money in order to get them residency and sell their information to anyone willing to pay. They also used the NGO to recruit members into Botsman-related right-wing organizations. This was also a great way for the FSB and Belarus KGB to keep tabs on opposition groups and Belarus citizens..
On August 3, 2021, Vitaliy Shyshov(or Shishov), the head of the Belarusian House in Ukraine, was found hanged in a popular park in Kyiv during his daily jog. The police first ruled it a suicide but quickly changed the narrative. almost instantly. Belarusian human rights center Viasna confirmed that before his death, he would file 2 separate police reports stating he was being followed by suspicious people speaking Russian, even parking outside his house. The reports would never be looked into. Shyshov was found hanged and again a Boatsmans’s knot was used, however, this time the police changed their tune and would officially rule this death a homicide, just hours after a suicide report was torn up. Even publically stating that they warned Shyshov that he was being watched. Belarusian House Ukraine (BDU) representatives would contradict this statement and said it was in fact it was Ukrainian police who were surveilling and following Shyshov and that they were covering up the murder, insinuating that the Belarusian KGB was behind the murder. In a strange development, the Lukashenko regime would announce charges against Shyshovs wife for “inciting riots” pouring more fire on to the backlash against the regime. However, sources within Russian intelligence would explain that it was in fact backlash and riots the Lukashenko regime was trying to incite, with the end goal of creating an excuse for furthering clampdowns and restricting freedoms. It is claimed Shyshov was completely unaware of Botsmans and Batulin’s role in the shakedown of the Belarusian diaspora linked to BDU. But more likely he was aware of the shakedowns but not the transfer of personal info to the FSB and KG which Botsman was providing.
After Shyshov’s death, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) banned Batulin from entering Ukrainian territory for three years. The SBU’s press service noted that he may pose a threat to Ukraine’s national security, though the agency didn’t expand on exactly what sort of threat Batulin poses. Batulin, who was residing temporarily in Poland, seems to suggest it was in fact the SBU friendly to Zelensky that was behind the murder.
On August 3, shortly after Shyshov’s death was announced, Botsman wrote on his Telegram channel that he was convinced that Shyshov had been killed by “the West” (NATO) and Belarusian Antifa, however, the post was deleted after a few minutes, then 2 hours later he reposted, saying it was Lukashenko and the KGB death squad behind the murder . On August 6, A video was posted through Russian TG and Youtube, showing Botsman checking in with his FSB handlers, as well as his signed contracts showing direct cooperation with FSB. Leaked audio with Russian Law enforcement and members of Russian NSO would come out, proving his involvement in the killing of Tesak. It could be plausible the Russian Federation believed Botsman was a loose end and acting of his own influence and this FSB leaked the footage as a shot across the bow statement to Botsman, a reminder to stay in his lane and figured openly outing him officially would delegitimize him within the Ukrainian nationalist community and perhaps even sign his death warrant.
Hours after the leaked Botsman video, SBU would carry out multiple raids focusing on Azov Movement Kharkiv leadership and criminal elements linked to departed interior minister Arsen Avakov. The group ran various schemes and has been accused of racketeering and extortion. Avakov, who essentially has been the second most powerful man in the country, outlasting 4 previous administrations, submitted his resignation without explanation. His departure would be linked to American pressure on Zelensky to flush out corruption and to distance his relationship with Kolomoysky. Avakov has always operated in his own best interest and was subservient to Kolomoysky even after changing his views on Russian cooperation. Avakov’s replacement was Denys Monastyrskyi, a no-nonsense law and order, an incorruptible hawk who was heavily vetted by CIA and Ukrainian SBI (assassinated in 2022). Now that more information is coming out on the Kremlin’s influence over Ukraine’s Neo-Nazi movement, it explains why pro-Russian oligarchs were financing the annual torch march down Khreshchatyk, Kyiv’s main thoroughfare. Surkov’s original idea of funding both sides of political influence would be exposed in the marches, while Kremlin dark money pushed the right-wing narrative, Russian lobbyists were pressuring leaders like Poroshenko to publicly denounce groups like Azov to the West. The end result being a fractured state in the eyes of Russian and global media. Faultlines eventually emerged in the Ukrainian far right, exposing the racketeering elements in Azov Movement leadership.
The FSB who was well aware of the upcoming crackdown, and felt that perhaps cleaning house would work to further destabilize the Zelensky administration. In 2020 Russia no longer had any influence within Azov Movement and their out-of-control leadership with their switching loyalties and unpredictable actors.
After the arrest of many of their top leaders on Auguist 7, On August 9, a warrant for Botsmans arrest would be signed and the Azov Movement leadership claimed that the SBU was planning a raid on its main base at Atek plant in Kyiv, which houses a recruitment centre, barracks and Azov’s own sergeant school of dubious legality. However, the promised raid failed to materialize and Botsmans warrant disappeared.
How is this related to Shyshov you might ask? It is believed FSB moles within SBU would assist in covering up the murder of Shyshov and effectively ensuring that nobody would risk investigating it. But why FSB? What could Russia possibly gain by the death of a Belarusian dissident with far-right ties who ran a hostel for refugees in Ukraine?
It’s clear that the FSB had Shishov and Batulin on their radar and targeted in the upcoming (Azov)raids and investigations. By eliminating Shishov it would throw a wrench in the overall plan for the surprise raids of the SBU by shining a media spotlight and a positive narrative around Shishov and Belarusian House, even more, it would cement the narrative of an illegal Lukashenko execution across borders, which in turn would bring huge condemnation by the international community and blast global headlines on top of the already bad press Lukashenko was receiving due to the rigged election and violent crackdown on protestors and political opposition. The murder would further isolate Belarus internationally and open up strict sanctions on Lukashenko. Western sanctions indeed would go into effect on August 9, forcing Lukashenko to respond in retaliation against the West. As expected, it was that day August 9th, that Lukashenko, after almost 8 years of avoiding the Crimea annexation, Belarus would finally recognize that Crimea is in fact part of Russia. It was on that day August 9th, a week after the death of Shyshov and the leaked Botsman videos and 2 days after the high-profile arrests, on the same day of the canceled raid against the rest of Azov leadership. It was that day August 9th, that Lukashenko gave Putin the green light to launch the invasion of Ukraine from the borders of Belarus. These random events, which would seem unrelated, were a domino effect strategy of the Kremlins to cement Lukashenkos’ support for the Special Operation and the Russian military would begin the troop buildup a week later.
On August 14th Arsen Avakov would further pour fuel on the fire in Ukraine as finances linked to anti-West oligarch Igor Kolomoysky would fund the violent demonstrations in Kyiv. Police officers and a National Guard serviceman were injured after they tried to halt a group of Azov protesters moving toward Bankova, the presidential offices in Kyiv. They tried to search the members of Azov but were assaulted by the protesters. Several police officers were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. Azov movement began to publicly accuse President Zelenskiy of “mopping up patriots and veterans” in preparation for signing a humiliating peace deal with Russia, although no deal is anticipated and Bankova and the Kremlin have little direct reported contact. Nevertheless, Azov announced a protest action outside Zelenskiy’s office where the bloody clash with police took place. More interesting is that the Deputy chief of the National Police was Vadym Troyan, a former commander in the Azov Battalion and a self-described “reformed” neo-Nazi. His handling of the protest and links to Avakov were too much to ignore, he was forced to resign by Monastyrski a few weeks later. Previous public demand for the termination of Troyan went silent, Avakov would protect Troyan who would be forever linked to the coverups of Botsman and Biletsky’s crimes.
On August 24th, 2021, Russia announced charges against Botsman for hate crimes, as well as for the murder of journalist Pavel Shermet in 2015.
“Russia’s Investigative Committee decided to congratulate me in an original way on Ukraine’s Independence Day by spreading a new batch of fake news,” Botsman wrote on Telegram on Aug. 24. “I think it’s too early to explain that any independent investigative (news) agency will expose these fakes immediately.”
Shortly thereafter he would be taken off the streets by Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) and de-briefed by SBU who provided Botsman classified details of the Kremlin’s Burn Notice on him and confirmed the contracts taken out on his life, according to GRU sources the contract on Botsman’s life was as much as $200k dollars. Botsman deleted his social media and would go dark shortly thereafter.
The Boatsman’s knot used for the Shyshov murder and the leaked details would be a perfect way for the FSB to shift the blame on Botsman, however to this day no arrests have been made.
Botsman started magically popping up again only after the Russian invasion in February 2022, alive and well (not surprisingly) armed to the teeth claiming to have his own private unit of 200 active and 400 reserve soldiers calling themselves the “Boatsman Boys” A unit comprised of former militia members including Azov, ex SBU, ex Spestnaz and police. However, no proof of such a large regiment existed, leading to Botsman’s own men to call him out for refusing to actually fight, instead, sitting in his home in Kyiv and just posting on his Telegram channel and only showing up after fighting ends, to scrap military equipment. His Boatsman Boys has since been disbanded
With active right-wing radical activity, participation in attacks, street riots and provocations, alleged murders, smuggling, and raiding of businesses, Botsman has never had criminal prosecutions (as a defendant) in any country. After his outing in 2021, Botsman would disappear from Social Media and the public spotlight, with a price on his head by former Azov leaders including Andrey Biletsky and other right-wing organizations. 2021 would be a pivotal year for turning the tide of chaotic influence. Oligarch Kolomoysky and the Dnipro Klan would be locked out of the Zelensky administration, and blacklisted by the United States. Kolomoyskyi had to begin to call for a new partnership between Ukraine and Russia; proposing that when it happens, “NATO will be soiling its pants and buying Pampers.” Kolomoyskyi explained that Zelenskyy “has chosen his path, he is the president of the country, he has his own vision, program, plans” and as he, as a businessman, no longer wants anything from the state, they have nothing to talk about.
Arsen Avakov the right-wing supporting Interior minister was forced to resign under public pressure. More interesting was members of Avakovs staff would be arrested for trying to overthrow the government during the first week of the Russian invasion. Zelensky would openly denounce Avakov and any overtly nationalist supporters of his within Parliament. Even Avakov’s famous henchman Ilya Kiva would find himself in Russia conveniently before the invasion started becoming a Putin propagandist. Criticism of Avakov included his corruption and blind personal ambitions that clouded his judgment. Ukraine finally acknowledged that its right-wing nationalist circles were vulnerable to Russian influence and that Ukraine was becoming a police state where the criminals blurred the lines with the police. Whispers from the Kremlin would surface in August, with Putin adamant on restoring Avakov back to a position of power, as the more nationalists in the Ukrainian parliament only helps cement the Kremlin narrative of a fascist state and erase any gains in respectability in the eyes of the Western governments
More Questions than Answers
The question remains, who really is Botsman? Why did the Kremlin go as far as to put him at the top of their hit list next to GUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov, (the most powerful intelligence officer in Ukraine) and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Where did Botsman go after the canceled raids and squashed warrant in 2021? Why is SBU providing round-the-clock security for him? What does Botsman know that is preventing his arrest, or if he’s worth so much, why not trade him to Russia? It seems the more we know about Botsman, the more questions we have, and any time Russia has a huge fake story that involves kidnappings and murder (i.e the Bucha massacres to the fake murder of propagandist Gonzo Lira), Botsman name is mentioned. All while he sits in his warm Kyiv apartment, surfing social media, without a care in the world.
EDIT: 9/22 News would come out that Botsman’s crew were kicked out of the Kalinovsky Brigade as well as the Ukrainian Army as of Sept 2022, due to a fight that resulted in the hospitalization of a Brigade member.. It is understood that Batulin snuck his way into Ukraine late last year (2021) and was fighting for Botsman along with a group of Russian Neo-Nazis from Format 18. Botsman would cut ties with his unit and arrest warrants issued for the members. However, a video from the unit appeared. Batulin and a visibly shaken Artem Krasnolutsky announcing the formation of a new unit called Teror .
December 2022 Update: It is known that Batulin has left this unit. Teror is operating illegally and without the authorization of Ukrainian military.
January 2023 Update: New Belarusian unit has been formed featuring Igor “Yankee” Yankov , Andrei “Bessmertny” Tratsevsky and Rodion “Gena” Batulin . Batulin has suffered serious injuries in a recent night raid Источник: https://reform.by/batalon-terror-voshel-v-sostav-belaruskaga-dobraahvotnickaga-korpusa
