The Main Intelligence Directorate staged the death of the commander of the RDK and seized half a million dollars from the Russian Federation.

According to ТСН: The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR) conducted a special operation in which they staged the death of Denis Kapustin, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). While Russian propaganda reported a successful assassination attempt, Ukrainian intelligence managed to identify those responsible and seize 500 thousand dollars allocated by Russia for this murder.

Who is Denis Kapustin and what is known about his activities

Denis Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin, is the founder and leader of the RDK. He was born on March 6, 1984, in Moscow and is a citizen of the Russian Federation.

In 2001, Kapustin moved with his family to Cologne, Germany, where he became an influential far-right activist. He founded the White Rex brand, through which he promoted the fight subculture and relevant symbolism, as well as training members of the Swiss Nationalist Party (PNOS) in combat techniques.

European media have repeatedly called him a neo-Nazi, however, Kapustin positions himself as a nationalist. Due to his radical activities, he has been banned from entering the Schengen Area since 2019.

Kapustin's connection with Ukraine began with his visit to the Euromaidan in 2014, and he finally moved to Kyiv in 2017. The full-scale invasion of Russia occurred while he was already in the capital. Initially, he volunteered, and his first combat outing was to Mykolaiv.

On August 11, 2022, he officially announced the establishment of the RDK, which later joined the structure of the HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The formation united former Russian military and activists who opposed Vladimir Putin's regime.

In 2023, Kapustin became a key figure in raids in the Bryansk and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation, helping to replenish Ukraine's exchange fund. In response, the Russian authorities included him in the list of terrorists, and a court in Russia sentenced him in absentia to life imprisonment for treason and terrorism.

Kapustin's 'death' and his 'last photo'

The RDK press service announced that on December 27, 2025, Denis Kapustin 'died' on the Zaporizhia front due to an enemy strike. Associates reported that he 'died fearlessly and honorably.'

"His deeds, his way of life as a warrior never diverged from his words. Denis was fearless and honest. He died during a combat outing, like a man," the message stated.

Propaganda Telegram channels quickly picked up the news of his 'death.'

How the HUR deceived Russia out of hundreds of millions of dollars

On January 1, 2026, the HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that Kapustin was actually alive. Russian intelligence services planned his assassination, allocating half a million dollars for this purpose. However, the HUR conducted an operation to identify those responsible.

In a report to Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the commander of the 'Timur Special Unit', it was confirmed that Kapustin remained alive, and the results of the operation were successful.

"First of all, Mr. Denis, welcome back to life. It is always nice. I am glad that the funds allocated for your liquidation went to help our struggle," said the head of the HUR.

Kapustin expressed his readiness to return to the front, emphasizing that his absence did not affect the completion of combat tasks.

The failure of the assassination attempt on Kapustin and its consequences

Military expert Ivan Timochko noted that the failed assassination attempt on Kapustin would have serious consequences for the Russian leadership.

According to him, Ukrainian intelligence managed to feed the enemy false data about his 'death.'

"While we spread misinformation about Kapustin's alleged death, the Russian leadership received 'confirmations' that were purposefully fed to them," emphasized Timochko.

According to the expert, the Kremlin's willingness to spend large sums on liquidation does not guarantee success. The failure of this operation puts Russian intelligence services in an unfavorable light.

It should be noted that the HUR also destroyed two Russian Su-30 fighters near Lipetsk, causing the enemy damage of up to 100 million dollars.