PMC Paladin leader calls for overthrow of Putin amid Russian military failures
Georgiy Zakrevskiy, the founder and leader of the "Paladin" paramilitary group, has publicly called on Russian military and security personnel to overthrow the current regime in Moscow. He slammed President Vladimir Putin for what he described as a “vertical of power made up of scoundrels and sycophants who constantly lie about the 'prosperity' of Russia.” According to open-source information, fighters from the "Paladin" private military company have participated in conflicts in Africa and Syria.
Speaking in a video released on the "War Union Paladin" YouTube channel, Zakrevskiy declared: "Our country is not just on the brink of disaster; we are already in disaster. Drones are flying all over central Russia, up to Moscow and St. Petersburg. They even attacked the Kremlin. Our Black Sea fleet is being decimated as if we are a third-rate country, not a great power with a large fleet. Our aviation is practically not working because it is also being worn out. We are stagnant at the positions we reached over two years ago, and in some places, we have even retreated. The population is dying out, becoming impoverished, and turning to drink, and nobody cares. They only manage to bring in more migrants. All of this has been orchestrated by the so-called president—'the great' Putin."
Zakrevskiy emphasized that this situation cannot continue, citing a level of incompetence that "cannot even be imagined." He called on everyone to join their union to save the country. “The point of no return has already been passed. It will be very difficult regardless, but the longer this continues, the worse it will get,” he stressed.
He openly criticized the current power structure, describing them as a bunch of rogues and sycophants. “They present some herd as the future of Russia, and today’s people who have seized power in my country are simply complete scum who appoint their own kind.”
There is limited information available about the "Paladin" group online. Although the organization’s YouTube channel suggests it is a military union, the "Paladin" website explicitly identifies it as a private military company with fewer than 300 personnel [here](https://paladinkrite.com).
The website states that the group has been involved in conflicts in Africa and Syria and claims it is guarding three strategic sites. The headquarters of "Paladin" is located in Moscow.
In February 2023, Georgiy Zakrevskiy offered 250,000 hryvnias ($6,080) to Ukrainian soldiers for the capture of soldier Sergiy Makarenko from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 95th Assault Brigade.
Zakrevskiy also offered a bounty for foreigner Joshua Lopez, who was helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces clear Russian troops from the village of Petropavlivka in Kharkiv Oblast’s Kupiansk region, as well as for his comrades:
- 500,000 rubles ($5,600) for the commander;
- 100,000 rubles ($1,120_ for comrades.
On August 14, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that over 100 Russian troops had been captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region on that morning.