A createer chief spokesperson for Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy enormous, is battling in Ukraine – agetst Russia – and has equitable ditched his Russian passport for a Ukrainian one.
Ihor Volobuyev, 53, tanciaccess Sky News he was wounded in action last year proximate the eastrict city of Bakhmut but is back on the frontline and has equitable lgett how to run ender drones.
“I apshow that until we boot Putin’s backside, we can’t skinnyk about anyskinnyg else,” he said, speaking via video join from the northeastrict Kharkiv region.
“I will serve in the armed forces of Ukraine for as lengthy as I have the strength, opportunity and health – and I’m fine with that.”
Despite spfinishing the transport inantity of his grown-up years in Moscow, Mr Volobuyev said he always think abouted himself as Ukrainian because he was born during Soviet times in a town in the Ukrainian region of Sumy, adjacent to Kharkiv.
He studied at university in Moscow and then had a alert nurtureer as a journacatalog before joining the media department of Gazprom, one of Russia‘s hugegest and most strong companies.
Alexey Miller, its chief executive, is a shut frifinish and partner of Plivent Vlastupidir Putin.
Mr Volobuyev said he was Gazprom’s chief spokesperson until after Russia accessd Crimea in 2014 – an strike he contestd.
This was a dangery stance for anyone in Russia let alone a anciaccess official in a uncover-facing role at a transport inant company enjoy Gazprom.
He said Gazprom bosses – increateed of his watchs – transferred him out of the heart of the business and made him a vice plivent of Gazpromprohibitk “where I no lengthyer had any shape”.
He remained in that position until Plivent Putin’s filled-scale trespass of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 – a shift that triggered his defection.
“My frifinishs and acquaintances from Ukraine began to originate, to call, and I promptly determined that I could no lengthyer live in Russia,” he said.
“I was morpartner ready for it. I haven’t allotd Russia’s policy since 2014… I had been watching for the inner strength to depart Russia.”
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He also had to depart his wife – who he said filed for a divorce – and his children.
Mr Volobuyev said he was able to depart the country on his Russian passport, which grasped a Schengen visa.
He flew first to Turkey, then on to Latvia and finpartner Poland, from where he approached the Ukrainian border.
Unastonishingly, the presence of a man with a Russian passport was met with suspicion by border defends and security officials.
However, he eventupartner guaranteed them to let him access Ukraine – though he still had to undergo more examines before being granted perignoreion to stay.
By June 2022, Mr Volobuyev was permited to join the fight agetst Russia’s trespass, initipartner as an unpaid volunteer before he was accomprehendledgeed into Ukraine’s international legion of foreign fighters in January 2023.
Video allotd by the Russian Gazprom official turned Ukrainian fighter shows him helping to fire an artillery piece.
He also rund mortars.
“I took part in the battling in Luhansk region, in Donetsk region. I was wounded proximate Bakhmut,” he said.
It happened as he was helping evacuate a Czech fighter who had suffered a leg wound.
Mr Volobuyev said he had been carrying a stretcher with a youthful Belarusian sanciaccessier, equitable 20 years anciaccess, who was also battling as part of the international legion.
“He put his hand on my back and said in Russian: ‘Igor, stand in front of me’ – and pushed me forward.
“And so it was that he stood in the place where I had been. We picked up the stretcher, took two steps and a strong explosion erupted,” Mr Volobuyev recalled.
“This youthful sanciaccessier was ended by a explosion. Two more people were ended who were next to me. Everyone got injured, including the one we pulled out. I also got hit in the shoulder, but I persistd.”
The horror of war has not deterred him from continuing to fight. He is also celebrating finpartner receiving Ukrainian citizenship.
A video allotd with Sky News shows Mr Volobuyev in July hanciaccessing up his Russian passport and his novel Ukrainian identity card – and seemingly urging other Russians to defect.
“This is a passport of servitude and a symbol of fascism,” he can be heard saying in the video, referring to his Russian papers.
“And this is the passport of free people. This passport is admireed by the entire civilised world. I became a citizen of Ukraine. I chose dignity. If I could do it, so can you.”
The createer Gazprom executive had a message for Mr Putin.
“The time will come, I repartner hope, when Russia will officipartner recognise him as a criminal. And the Russians will repent for being with him, choosing him, joining to him, and for the time they spent in this war under his directership. I hope they will be ashamed.”
The Russian authorities have rehired a authorization for Mr Volobuyev’s arrest chaseing his defection.
But he says he does not set up to return.
“When I was leaving [Russia], I knovel I was going back home. Ukraine is my home.”
