Professional military quietly help deserters and defectors but plans no rebellion.

A secret community of professional military in the Russian armed forces, called the Order of the Republic, has been engaged in non-violent activities against the regime of President Vladimir Putin and his security agencies.

Founded last year as a reaction to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, this informal organization brings together acting and retired Russian officers across medium ranks, who live either inside or outside the country, the independent TV Rain / Dozhd reported [min. 04:45]. 

Journalists learned about the Order of the Republic after the escape of Lieutenant Dmitry Mishov, an assault gunship pilot, whose story was first published by the BBC Russian Service. 

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Mishov had served until recently as an assistant to the helicopter commanding officer and as an assault helicopter navigating operator in the 15the Army Air Force Brigade’s Unit #44440, which is stationed near the town of Ostrov of Pskov Region. The unit has participated in the Ukraine war since the first day of invasion with combat helicopters Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-31M, Mi-26, and Mi-8MTV-5.

On 28 May 2023, Dmitry Mishov illegally crossed the border of a Baltic state and surrendered to the authorities. His escape was planned and guided by the Order of the Republic, the deserter said. The former lieutenant requested to be decommissioned in January 2022, realizing that the war was inevitable. Military bureaucrats delayed the resignation process until September, the month when President Putin ordered the partial mobilization, invalidating thus Mishov’s application.

The deserter said he had heard of the Order of the Republic while recovering in hospital from a self-inflicted wound (to escape deployment), from comrades, and contacted the community via a Telegram chat. In his opinion, his saviors are retired Russian officers in various medium ranks, with access to intelligence, communications, and weapons. If he remained in Russia, there were only two choices: going to war or going to prison.

A Telegram-based investigative outlet called “Mozhem Obyasnit” (We can explain) reached out the community. According to journalist Ilya Davlyatchin, who did the fact-checking and interviewed its members, the informal organization stands for a non-violent republican regime with a free society. 

“They are not going to resist. If Russia plunges into a civil war, they will not fire at ordinary people. Mishov’s story is not the first one with their involvement. They’ve also helped other military who disagree with Putin’s invasion to leave the country or get a useful piece of advice to avoid being sent to the front,” the journalist said about the plotters.

However, not everyone would get the secret community’s help: if the solicitor is a proven war criminal he is automatically denied any form of assistance, except perhaps for cases when he is on possession of classified information that may help Ukraine and its allies, according to the source.

Those officers in opposition, Davlyatchin continued, are neither panicked nor in revolutionary mood, as the Russian military generally are not prepared to rise to rebellion. On the other hand, some may ignore taking orders, even under the threat of punishment or risk of going to prison.

“Obviously, they are not bearing plans for an armed revolt […] and for the time being there exists no critical mass of servicemen who would refuse to fight, even though deep inside they dislike their participation in this war,” he stressed.