A SECRETIVE group of resistance fighters are bravely taking the fight to Vladimir Putin deep behind enemy lines.
Atesh – rebels based in Crimea – are carrying out assassinations, bombing key logistics hubs, and even using drugs to hamstring the Russian war effort.
Telegram/@atesh_uaAtesh fighters are fighting back against Russia[/caption]
Telegram/@atesh_uameet-crimeas-secret-rebel-army-1019274412[/caption]
Telegram/@atesh_uaAn Atesh sign in front of a burning signal box[/caption]
The SunThe Sun interviewed one commander from the Atesh – Djohar Krym[/caption]
One of the group’s commanders, Djohar Krym, has spoken exclusively to The Sun and revealed how Atesh is fighting for their homeland.
The rebels are providing key intelligence to Ukrainian spies by monitoring Russian troop movements infiltrating high-security military bases, and
Atesh – which means fire in the Crimean Tatar language – also carries out arson strikes and are preparing caches of weapons to launch an uprising.
They’re one part of Ukraine‘s effort inside Russia and the occupied territories trying to cripple Putin’s war machine.
Djohar said his agents will never give up fighting against “cruel” Vlad despite the extreme danger of Russian spies.
He said: “Our agents realise that anything could happen.
“Many of them lost everything due to occupation. Many of them lost their relatives in this war.
“And many of them want to do something that could, even one per cent, help Ukraine fighting this occupation.”
His faceless group have struck right across Russia and claims to have even infiltrated secretive factories in Moscow.
Djohar wouldn’t confirm how many agents Atesh has – with rebels having to dodge the ruthless eye of Putin’s counter-intelligence spies.
Atesh have also been eyes and ears for Ukraine in Crimea, the occupied oblasts in Ukraine, and in Russia itself.
Everyday people provide information about Russian troop movements to Atesh commanders who then pass it back to Ukraine’s spies.
Ukraine then has the coordinates to bomb units or critical logistics points with missiles and drones.
Djohar said Atesh coordinates with Ukraine to find and carry out strikes and stays in constant contact with the different spy agencies.
One recent attack was on New Year’s Day, when an Atesh spy revealed to Ukraine where a base for the Russian fleet on the Dnipro River was.
Ukraine then bombed the site destroying 10 boats, critical storage infrastructure, and the guards who protected the strike.
ReutersRussian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was wounded in a bomb attack carried out by Atesh[/caption]
APAtesh wouldn’t comment when asked about the attack by The Sun[/caption]
Atesh often uses fire to sabotage the Russians.
Djohar said: “Fire is the easiest way to do sabotage.
“In Kherson region, we find some positions of Russians in ex-Ukrainian houses, and we destroy them using fire and fuel, petrol.
“Using bombs, we face many problems, especially in logistics, and with the counter-sabotage activities that Russians have. They track and they track logistics and materials that could be used to make bombs. Especially on the newly occupied territories.”
Djohar said safety was a top priority with the FSB, Russian police, and army on their tails.
He said: “We have instructions for our agents on every step, how to set your phone, what phone this could be, what clothes you should wear.
Many of them want to do something that could, even 1 per cent, help Ukraine fighting this occupation
Djohar Krym
“We are planning routes and planning routes out. We are planning operations in details. We are doing reconnaissance before the operations and trying to escape all scenarios that could make our operation not successful.”
With such danger, Atesh uses subterfuge to stay one step ahead of Russian counter-intelligence.
Djohar said: “There was a case where our agent, a drug dealer, sold marijuana to Russian soldiers.
“He made friends with them and in the night, when they were under the influence of drugs, he stole a pistol from the officer, and killed these three guys.
Telegram/@atesh_uaOne video showed an agent throwing a molotov cocktail[/caption]
Telegram/@atesh_uaAtesh targets railway signal boxes to slow down Russian military transport[/caption]
“We called this a Ukrainian night operation. It was very successful. Our agent escaped the village in the morning.”
Atesh was formed in September 2022 and in the three years of operation has carried out assassination strikes on a Russian police commander and a propagandist loyal to Putin.
In 2023, they almost killed famed propagandist and militia organiser Zakhar Prilepin with a car bomb.
The motor was flipped upside down and a crater left in the ground, but the blogger survived.
Prilepin’s legs were broken in the attack, his driver was killed.
The Russians extracted a confession from Alexander Permyakov, a Russian-Ukrainian who claimed he was paid $20,000 (£14,800) by the SBU for the job.
Telegram/@atesh_uaOne Atesh agent shared the location of a number of Russian tanks[/caption]
Telegram/@atesh_uaRussian Navy ships in Crimea spotted by an Atesh member[/caption]
Last September Permyakov was jailed for life.
The specifically asked about the attempted Prilepin assassination, but Djohar said he would not comment.
Djohar said Atesh has been successful in killing a Russian police chief and a politician in Putin’s party in the occupied territories with bombs.
Putin’s pride and joy in Crimea is the Kerch Bridge – a span linking mainland Russia to the peninsula.
Ukraine has bombed it multiple times as it tries to destroy the symbol of Vlad’s control.
Djohar wouldn’t confirm if Atesh’s agents had been one of the bombers, but he did say his group had been involved.
He said they had set up some of the recording equipment which had filmed explosions and even said that they had helped with the logistics of the operation.
“It’s a complicated target, not only for us, but for all Ukrainian services who are working on this target. And we faced this high police regime in Kerch and when you use this bridge. So, Russians are really trying, they are doing their best to protect this bridge.
APFlame and smoke rise from Kerch bridge[/caption]
AFPUkraine has bombed the bridge multiple times[/caption]
“Our agents that constantly go on this bridge, we collect information about their anti-aircraft systems and forces that are placed on these bridges, near this bridge, and on these small islands.”
Atesh had also been involved in other Ukrainian bombings in Crimea.
“We also were involved in the striking of Feodosia port. It’s an important port for Russians that is used for transporting military vehicles to Crimea, and also oil materials.
“We had our agents, who also we showed this on our Telegram channel, that collected information about this port. And also, we were partly involved in striking the boat-preparing plant in Kerch as well.
But one arm of Atesh is not focused on violence.
The Civil Force is a non-violent unit which is trying to win hearts and minds away from Putin.
The Civil Force drops propaganda leaflets and collects information on zealous locals in the cities, towns and villages and sharing their identity online.
Djohar said the Civil Force is trying to show that “too many people resisting Putin’s regime” and that he doesn’t have an iron grip over what he controls.
Telegram/@atesh_uaA Atesh leaflet on a Lenin poster in Kursk[/caption]
Telegram/@atesh_uaAn anti-Putin poster in Donetsk[/caption]
“The first aim is to mobilize people to our movement.
“People go through the streets, they see these leaflets, they scan a QR code, and they can send us a message and ask to be a part of the movement.
“It’s also a show that Russia doesn’t control this territory fully. That there are many people who are fighting against occupation.
“These people, there are many of these people, they live near you, in your house, in your district, in your town. And they are fighting against occupation. And this feeling helps other people to do this step and to join our movement.
“It really works, because we have new contacts, new people, almost every day, who are showing their willingness to join us and start to do our tasks.”
Atesh also post videos of their attacks on a popular Telegram account to spread the notoriety of their attacks.
East2WestFeodosia marine oil terminal exploded after being hit by Ukraine[/caption]
ReutersA satellite image shows fire and smoke rising from an oil depot in Feodosia, Crimea[/caption]
Djohar said Putin couldn’t be trusted with peace negotiations and was only participating in them to get more land than he could on the battlefield.
He said: “Putin wants to be in the position that works for him.
“Even if the war will be frozen, we don’t have any hesitation that he will strike as soon as he can.”
And even if peace is there is a ceasefire and the battlefield is frozen, Djohar vowed not to give up.
He said: “We will fight, but it could be any other approaches.
“Maybe not as much violence, but we have many people, and we will still do something to help Ukraine.”
Atesh isn’t just made up of loyal Ukrainians caught behind Putin’s front line.
Agents also come from the native Crimean Tatar population – a group who were ethnically cleansed by Joseph Stalin in 1944.
Djohar said: “The Crimean Tatars are a very important part of our movement.
“Many of our first agents were Crimean Tatars. And we respect them.
“Also, because Atesh is translated from the Crimean Tatar language as fire. It’s like respect for the Crimean Tatars who have been fighting from 2014, and several of our leaders who established the movement are Crimean Tatars.”
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