Russian terrorist Girkin, aka Strelkov, announces intention to run for president

He wrote about this on his Telegram channel.

There he listed his advantages over Putin: he was better at military affairs and less trusting of the security forces, which were "not ready for war."

He noted that "Ukraine is not a straw man in military terms." And the military leadership is not able to adequately fight it.

Strelkov also promised "not to bore Russians for more than 20 years," hinting at Putin's long term in office.

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.

The arrest of Igor Girkin

On July 21, Russian media reported that Russian law enforcement officers allegedly detained terrorist Igor Girkin (Strelkov).

It is noted that law enforcement officers took Strelkov from his home in the afternoon. The Investigative Committee is conducting a search in his apartment. Later, a message allegedly from his wife Miroslava Reginskaya appeared on Girkin's Telegram channel.

Instead, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, 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 towers.

Subsequently, the Meshchansky court arrested Girkin on charges of calling for extremist activities. He was sent to a pre-trial detention center until September 18.