Girkin's arrest is manifestation of shifting balance of power in Kremlin – ISW

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts say that Girkin often criticized Putin before July 18, but his past criticisms did not lead to his arrest.

It is noted that members of the Girkin-led “Angry Patriots Club” gathered for a small protest outside the court demanding Girkin's release. 

Some sources claimed that Girkin's arrest followed a conflict with a fellow “Angry Patriots Club” member about the Wagner Group. Other sources speculated that Wagner complaints about Girkin may have triggered his arrest. One source claimed that the arrest is related to Russian authorities targeting Russian “patriots” deemed disloyal to Putin.

The report also states that Girkin's arrest follows other criminal charges against ultranationalists with past ties to Russian security services and "indicates that unidentified Russian officials may be targeting prominent ultranationalists who routinely reveal insider information about the Kremlin."

The Institute of War Studies believes that Girkin is likely supported by an unidentified security official, possibly from the Federal Security Service, who has been promoting his interests by using the terrorist as "a channel for disclosing selected information to the Russian ultranationalist online community."

What is known about Girkin

Igor Girkin (Strelkov) is a Russian military officer, blogger, White Movement ideologue, writer, retired Russian Armed Forces officer, former FSB colonel, war criminal, and terrorist. He was a participant in the Russian war against Ukraine in Crimea, Donbas, and during the 2022 invasion on the side of Russia. Girkin also participated in the wars in Transnistria, Bosnia, and Chechnya.

Since 2014, he has been the head of the Novorossiya terrorist group and the head of the January 25 Committee. He is a former leader of the pro-Russian terrorist military group "People's Militia of Donbas".

After the Russian invasion of Crimea began, Girkin headed a sabotage unit, organized a gathering of Crimean deputies to call an illegal referendum, and commanded the storming of a photogrammetric center in Simferopol. In April 2014, he and his unit crossed the border of Ukraine in the Donetsk region and led the capture of Sloviansk, thus starting hostilities in Donbas.

Later, the terrorist became the first "minister of defense" of the so-called DPR and commander-in-chief of the Army of Novorossiya. In August 2014, simultaneously with the beginning of the invasion of Donbas by Russian regular troops, he moved back to Russia.

The SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine opened cases against Girkin for terrorism, violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, torture and premeditated murder.

In 2019, the Netherlands put Girkin on the international wanted list as a person involved in the downing of Boeing MH-17.

In October 2022, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that Girkin was in the occupied territory and announced a USD 100,000 reward for his capture.

On November 17, the verdict in the MH17 case was announced in The Hague: the militants of the Russian-controlled DPR, led by Girkin, were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment. Russia said it would not extradite Girkin, who was sentenced to life in prison by the Hague tribunal, to the Netherlands.

On December 6, the former field commander of the DPR militants returned to Moscow.

On July 21, the Russian news agency RBC reported on the alleged detention of Girkin. It was noted that law enforcement officers took Strelkov from his home in the afternoon. The Investigative Committee is conducting a search in his apartment. The Russian media reported that, according to preliminary data, the detention was carried out at the request of a former Wagner Group employee.

Subsequently, a message allegedly from his wife Myroslava Reginskaya appeared on Girkin's Telegram channel. According to her, she did not know anything about her husband's whereabouts, and he did not get in touch with her. At the time of the arrest, the woman was not at home.

"Today, at about 11:30 a.m., representatives of the Investigative Committee came to our place. I was not at home at that time. Soon, according to the concierge, they took my husband under the arms and took him away in an unknown direction. I managed to find out from my friends that my husband was charged under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (extremism)," the statement reads.

A representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Andriy Yusov, called Girkin's detention "a feature of the Putin regime". According to him, Girkin has never been an independent figure. His detention indicates that an active confrontation has begun between the Kremlin factions.

In the evening of July 21, a Russian court sent Girkin to a pre-trial detention center. It was noted that the Meshchansky Court arrested Strelkov on charges of calling for extremist activities. BBC reports that he was sent to a pre-trial detention center until September 18.