Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin, who had been fighting for Ukraine, has been killed in action, according to the Civic Council, the group that recruited him. The group’s spokeswoman confirmed his death, describing him as a hero. Dadin was reportedly killed when his volunteer unit, the Freedom of Russia Legion, came under Russian artillery fire in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. Further details are yet to emerge, as military operations continue. However, Russian opposition politician Ilia Ponamarev and other sources have confirmed his death.
Dadin gained prominence in Russia about a decade ago for persistently holding peaceful protests in the face of growing political repression. In 2014, he became the first person convicted under Russia’s new law (Article 212.1), which criminalized repeated violations of strict protest regulations. His peaceful protest actions in Moscow, such as holding banners in the streets, led to his arrest and imprisonment. During his time in jail, Dadin endured torture by prison guards and went on a hunger strike to protest the conditions. In interviews after his release in 2017, he detailed the horrific treatment he faced, including being hung by his cuffed wrists and threatened with rape.
Despite considering himself a pacifist, Dadin decided to join the fight against Russia in Ukraine. He explained that he could not stand by and do nothing while Russia committed atrocities, including aggression, mass killings, torture, rape, and looting. Motivated by a strong sense of personal responsibility, he believed that he and other Russians had failed to stop President Vladimir Putin, allowing his regime to carry out its crimes. Dadin had initially joined the Siberian Battalion in June 2023 before transferring to the Freedom of Russia Legion later in the year. Both battalions are part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and their members, mostly Russian citizens, aim to help Ukraine defeat Putin as a step toward toppling his regime.
However, Dadin’s time on the battlefield was not without frustrations. He found some of his unit’s missions to be militarily pointless and spoke about a particularly harrowing experience in which he spent eight hours pinned down by Russian fire in a bomb crater while a fellow soldier bled to death. Despite the exhaustion and physical injuries he sustained, Dadin remained committed to fighting, feeling a moral obligation to oppose Russia’s actions and support Ukraine.
In his final messages, Dadin expressed regret over not doing more to stop Russia’s crimes, feeling responsible for the suffering caused by the war. However, those who knew and fought alongside him, like the Civic Council, praised his bravery, principles, and honesty, urging people to remember him for his strength and dedication.
