A Russian Volunteer Made An Emotional Appeal To His Father, A Colonel In The Russian Ministry Of Internal Affairs
- 19.10.2026, 11:18
In 2025, Karel joined the Russian Volunteer Corps.
A 23-year-old fighter with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), whose call sign is Karel, left Russia after the full-scale invasion began and eventually joined the fight against the Russian occupiers. His father, a colonel in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, never found out about his son’s decision to fight on Ukraine’s side. Karel spoke about this in an interview with “Channel 24”.
“Dad, just as you wanted, I’m in the special forces. True, it’s in a slightly different country, in a slightly different unit, but on the right side of history,” the soldier said, addressing his late father.
Karel was born in Novosibirsk, earned a law degree, and ran a small business. His father served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and wanted his son to continue a career in law enforcement, but Karel chose a different path.
According to the protester, he became interested in politics while still in school. His views were influenced, among other things, by YouTube videos about the opposition figure Alexei Navalny. From 2019 to 2022, Karel participated in anti-government protests in Russia.
After the full-scale invasion began, he decided to leave the country. First, he finished college and started his own business, and then he moved to Kazakhstan, where he lived for two years. There, he provided financial support to Ukraine, specifically donating money to Ukrainian military units. Over time, Karel decided he wanted to fight on the front lines.
“I realized I wanted to do something more intense—I needed to get fully involved. And I decided to join the Russian Volunteer Corps,” the fighter said.
In 2025, he joined the Russian Volunteer Corps and participated in operations in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions.
According to Karel, his father died of a blood clot while his son was already in Ukraine but hadn’t yet had a chance to tell him about his decision.
Despite their differing views, the soldier remembers his father with respect. He emphasized that his father was a good father, even though his beliefs and service in the Russian security forces were not something his son agreed with in every respect.