On 14 September, reports appeared on Russian military Telegram channels regarding the death of Alexei Milchakov — one of the founders and commanders of the neo-Nazi DShRG «Rusich» unit, which has been fighting against Ukraine since 2014. As of the time of publication, there has been no official confirmation of his death from Russian authorities or the group itself. «Rusich» and Milchakov are subject to sanctions imposed by the US and a number of other countries due to their involvement in the war against Ukraine and the unit’s particular brutality.
- Russian military correspondents are reporting that Alexei Milchakov may have been killed.
- There has been no official confirmation of his death as yet.
- Milchakov is a co-founder and one of the leaders of the «Rusich» Youth Sports and Recreation Group.
- The US describes «Rusich» as a neo-Nazi paramilitary group.
- The unit is linked to the torture and killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
What is known about Milchakov’s possible death
On the morning of 14 September, a number of pro-Russian media outlets began circulating reports of the death of Alexei Milchakov, also known by the call signs «Serb» and «Fritz».
The details — the location, time and circumstances of the possible liquidation — have not yet been reliably established. Major Russian state media outlets have not yet confirmed this information.
Furthermore, at the time of writing, on the DSHRG’s own websites, «Rusich»There was no confirmation that his commander had been killed.".
Therefore, the information should currently be regarded precisely as A report from Russian Z-channels, which requires confirmation.
In 2024, it had already been mistakenly «wound up»
This is not the first time that Russian Telegram channels have reported Milchakov’s death.
In November 2024, similar information also circulated widely online. At the time, it was linked to a report by a Russian war correspondent Andriy Filatov about the death of one of the soldiers, although he did not give his surname.
Subsequently, the «Rusicha» channel published an audio message and a photograph of Milchakov, refuting reports of his death. That is why the current reports also require further verification.
Who is Alexei Milchakov?
Milchakov was born on 30 April 1991 in St Petersburg. He is one of the founders and leaders of a sabotage and assault reconnaissance unit «Rusich», which has been involved in the war against Ukraine since 2014.
The US Department of the Treasury officially describes «Rusich» as neo-Nazi paramilitary group, which fought alongside the Russian army and pro-Russian forces in the Donbas, and – following the full-scale invasion – in the Kharkiv region in particular.
Milchakov himself openly displayed far-right and neo-Nazi symbols and had gained notoriety long before the war for publishing photographs of the brutal killing of an animal.
The US links «Rusich» to atrocities committed against Ukrainian military personnel
In 2022, the US imposed sanctions on «Rusich», Milchakov and his associate Yan Petrovsky.
The US Treasury Department noted that «Rusich» mercenaries were already active in 2015 were accused of committing atrocities against dead and captured Ukrainian soldiers, and the militants recorded some of these actions on video.
Bellingcat also linked the unit to reports of torture, maiming and war crimes in Ukraine and Syria.
In 2022, media outlets linked to «Rusich» published so-called instructions on the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war, which referred to torture and subsequent executions. These practices were reported, in particular, by the French newspaper *Le Monde*.
Milchakov is subject to sanctions imposed by many countries
Milchakov has been added to the sanctions lists the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Switzerland and New Zealand.
Sanctions documents refer to him as the commander of the «Rusich» armed group, which took part in hostilities in eastern Ukraine and supported actions directed against Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. In the US, particular emphasis was placed on Milchakov’s reputation as a man known for «extreme cruelty».
If the information is confirmed, it will mark the death of one of the most notorious Russian neo-Nazi commanders, who in
