Kathrine Frich
If he survives the war, Caesar plans to help lead Russia’s transformation.
If he survives the war, Caesar plans to help lead Russia’s transformation.
The Russian Who Turned Against Putin
Once a personal trainer in St. Petersburg, “Caesar” now wears combat fatigues and carries a weapon, not for Russia, but against it.
Fueled by hatred for Vladimir Putin’s regime, this former civilian risked everything to join Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
From Gym Sessions to the Front Line
On the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Caesar was living an ordinary life.
But as soon as he saw missiles heading for Kyiv, he made a life-altering decision: he would join Ukraine’s defence.
That night, he told his wife and four children he was going to war. They supported him completely.
Smuggling Himself Out of Russia
Knowing he’d be branded a traitor, Caesar reached out to foreign embassies and the International Legion in Ukraine.
After dodging Russian security services and passing Ukrainian vetting, he escaped via Hungary and arrived in Ukraine to take up arms.
Christian Duty on the Battlefield
A devout Christian with a deep belief in honour and justice, Caesar sees his service as both spiritual and military.
“I don’t enjoy killing,” he says, “but I must kill the bad guys to protect civilians.”
To him, Russian soldiers invading Ukraine are no different from cockroaches.
Fighting From the Shadows
Serving in a mortar unit, Caesar has taken part in intense battles, including the deadly campaign in Bakhmut.
His unit reportedly wiped out hundreds of Wagner mercenaries.
He’s also operated behind enemy lines, aiding sabotage missions inside Russia itself.
The Warship Plot That Worked
In April 2024, Caesar and his team worked with a Russian sailor, “Goga,” to sabotage a missile ship.
Goga set fire to the vessel, seriously damaging it. With help from Caesar’s group, the sailor defected to Ukraine, one of many covert missions aimed at crippling Putin’s war machine.
Hunted by His Homeland
Caesar knows he’s a target. Russia wants him dead. He takes no chances with his security.
But now that his family has been smuggled out of Russia to join him in Ukraine, he’s willing to speak publicly.
Still, he refuses Ukrainian citizenship, his fight, he insists, must be as a Russian.
“We Are Responsible for Russia’s Crimes”
In Caesar’s view, all able-bodied Russian citizens bear some guilt for the war.
He believes that true justice will only come with regime change in Moscow.
“My goal is to make Russians freer, wiser, and kinder,” he says. “That’s my real mission.”
Eyeing a Political Future
If he survives the war, Caesar plans to help lead Russia’s transformation.
“After this, I hope to enter politics,” he says.
“I want to help plan a coup against Putin and rebuild the country. That’s the only way Ukraine can truly win.”
The West Must Not Look Away
Caesar has one message for the West: don’t give up. He thanks Britain for its support but warns that peace without regime change in Russia is no peace at all.
In his words, “Putin is the new Hitler. If we want freedom, we must finish this fight.”
