Communist ‘terrorists’ arrested in Russia: detainees insist Soviet Union never collapsed, say they’re its rightful leaders

Three suspected members of a militant Marxist group have been arrested in the southern Russian city of Volgograd. But, while police say the men are “terrorists,” they claim they are the country’s rightful leaders.

According to a statement from the district court on Thursday, one of those in custody, a 41-year-old named only as Sergey M, reportedly describes himself as “the Acting Head of all offices, without exception,” laying claim to “all pre-existing objects and subjects of law in the Volgograd Region.”

The investigation alleges that the trio are part of the Union of Slavic Forces, a proscribed political organisation that urges its activists not to pay taxes or acknowledge the laws of Russia, which they claim is an illegitimate state. Instead, they argue that they are “citizens of the USSR.” In the past, prosecutors have brought charges against similar outfits that have promoted terrorism to achieve their radical aims.

In May, a criminal case was brought against another communist activist in the Ural city of Kurgan. Lyubov Kudryashova was accused of justifying terrorist acts in support of the restoration of the Soviet Union, as part of her suspected involvement with an extremist group, the Movement for the Restoration of the Rights of Citizens of the USSR.

Kudryashova had previously claimed to hold high office within the Union, which she believes was never actually dissolved. In 2019, she resigned from her “powers as the head of the USSR Foreign Ministry.” The court appointed a forensic medical examiner to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of the case.

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