Denis Kapustin**, a leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps*, who was sentenced in Russia to life imprisonment in absentia, has been killed in the part of Zaporizhzhia Region controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua reported.

According to the publication, Kapustin** was eliminated overnight on Saturday as a result of an FPV drone strike in territory under Ukrainian control.

Kapustin** was identified as one of the key figures within the Russian Volunteer Corps*. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) previously stated that, despite being a Russian citizen, he took part in combat operations on the side of Ukrainian forces. According to the FSB, in the summer of 2022 Kapustin** organized an attempted sabotage attack against an energy infrastructure facility in Volgograd Region. In 2023, he was linked to an armed raid into Bryansk Region and to a foiled assassination attempt targeting Konstantin Malofeev, the founder of the Tsargrad television channel.

In Russia, Kapustin was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

* — designated a terrorist organization in Russia

** — listed in Russia as an extremist and terrorist individual