Kathrine Frich
History proves that absolute power creates enemies.
When peaceful opposition gets crushed, the resistance goes underground to prepare for a different kind of fight.
Now, a shadowy network is coming to light with a radical plan.
A violent shift
An underground movement called Black Spark is building a secret network inside Russia. They want to remove Vladimir Putin from power. And they plan to use armed force to do it, according to a recent report by The Sun.
The public face of this operation is Igor Volobuev. He once worked as a vice president at the financial giant Gazprombank. When the devastating invasion of Ukraine began, the 55-year-old executive completely abandoned his old life and defected to Kyiv.
He soon joined Ukrainian defence units. Now, he speaks for a rebel group that openly calls for violence against the state. “People are fed up with Putin,” Volobuev said.
Fire and sabotage
The former banker firmly believes the Russian leader is destroying his own citizens. “He’s burning them in the fire of war,” Volobuev said.
A manifesto from the resistance group echoes that deep frustration. The document explains that severe state oppression has erased any hope for peaceful negotiations. The text declares, “We realised that under a dictatorship, justice is forced to stand with Molotov cocktails.”
Black Spark maintains a tiny digital footprint today. They count fewer than 3,000 followers on the messaging app Telegram. Yet the organisation insists it has embedded highly influential operatives deep inside the Russian energy sector.
Some of these operatives allegedly plan to sabotage oil facilities. Ukraine already strikes these vital targets regularly, and the two groups reportedly share intelligence.
No peaceful exit
Critics often wonder if secret resistance movements are actually Russian intelligence traps. Volobuev dismissed those fears. He claimed that secret meetings provided him with “compelling evidence that this movement was truly powerful”.
The underground network attracts a wide mix of skilled professionals. Engineers, lawyers, and technology specialists are secretly collaborating. And many of them are Russians of Ukrainian heritage who have grown to deeply despise the ongoing conflict.
For his frontline efforts, the Ukrainian government awarded Volobuev the prestigious Golden Cross. He sees a bloody road ahead. Pointing to high casualties, he argued that the war machine is exhausting Russia completely.
A quiet transition of power seems entirely pointless to the group. “There is no scenario where Putin simply leaves,” Volobuev said. “He can only be overthrown by force.”
Sources: The Sun
