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This story seems straight out of a thriller or a World War II espionage tale.
Russian authorities believed that Denis Kapustin, the founder and leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps—an armed group fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Vladimir Putin’s military—had been eliminated. They reportedly invested $500,000 in an assassination plot to silence him.
However, the reality is quite different. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, announced on Thursday that not only did they thwart the assassination attempt, but they also managed to seize the half-million-dollar bounty.
The Ukrainians confirmed that Kapustin is alive and well.
According to reports from the Moscow Times, an independent publication unaffiliated with the Kremlin, here’s what we’ve learned:
❗The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine carried out a complex, multi-stage special operation to save the life of Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), while simultaneously exposing an enemy intelligence network.
— Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) January 2, 2026
Here’s what we know, according to the Moscow Times, an independent outlet not affiliated with the Putin regime:
The GUR said Russian security services had ordered the assassination of Denis Kapustin and allocated $500,000 for the operation. According to the agency, Ukrainian officials carried out a “complex” counterintelligence operation that thwarted the plot.
Kirill Budanov, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, appeared in a video call with Kapustin and congratulated him on surviving the alleged assassination attempt. “I’m glad that the funds allocated for ordering your assassination went to support our fight,” Budanov said.
Failure of Russian special services ― RVC commander Denis Kapustin is alive, and the half a million dollars received for his elimination will strengthen the special forces of the DI of Ukraine
“Welcome back!” — Kirill Budanov congratulated Denis White Rex pic.twitter.com/KoArDcBnrT
— Russian Volunteer Corps | RVC | РДК (@rvc_army_eng) January 1, 2026
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Kapustin, also known as “White Rex,” founded the RVC after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has his sights set on toppling Putin. The corps has staged multiple attacks:
The group, which was banned in Russia as a terrorist organization, was known for staging cross-border attacks in Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions. He had twice been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by kangaroo courts in Russia, The Sun reported.
In March 2024, the RVC stormed into Russia and clashed with security forces before capturing Russian soldiers.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of Kapustin’s death were greatly exaggerated:
RIP Denis Kapustin 🌹
He fell last night against Putin’s forces.
He was a true warrior. He had a presence and force of personality that is seldom encountered.
I met him in 2016. I asked him about Putin. Is he not good? I asked. Is he not preferable to what we have in the West?… pic.twitter.com/bPL6Megb2A
— The Golden One (@TheGloriousLion) December 27, 2025
As RedState’s streiff reported in June, Ukraine also managed to pull off a major operational/intelligence victory when they launched an autonomous drone swarm assault on multiple Russian bomber bases. The plan was a year and a half in the making.
SURPRISE: Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack Deletes a Third of Russia’s Bomber Fleet and Sends a Warning to the US
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago in late December 2025, and a peace deal is reportedly closer, but in the meantime, the fighting and death continue on. In this case, though, it would certainly appear as if the Ukrainians left the Russians with egg on their faces.
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