«I am as old as Jesus Christ when he died and was resurrected». Denis Kapustin gave his first interview after the staging of his death
Denis Kapustin, one of the leaders of the «Russian Volunteer Corps» (RVC), gave his first public interview after his «resurrection» as part of a special operation by Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, during which disinformation about his alleged death was specifically spread.
Denis Kapustin. Screenshot from video
In an interview, Denis Kapustin ironically noted that he is now 33 years old — «as old as Jesus Christ when he died and was resurrected».
According to Kapustin, the operation to fake his death was prepared for several months, and only four or five people knew about it. He admitted that he deliberately allowed the world to believe in his death, understanding that the stakes were extremely high.
«Don't tell anyone: I'm going to die soon, but not for real, because then I'll be resurrected,» he ironically recounted his thoughts at the time.
While the information about his «death» remained in effect, Kapustin managed to read dozens of obituaries written by friends, associates, and even enemies. He admitted he was struck by the scale of the reaction: people who had never met him personally wrote that they cried as if for a family member. Graffiti, posters, and drones with the inscriptions «For Denis» appeared all over the world, and activists in various countries took to the streets in his honor.
«I never sought popularity,» he said, «but suddenly I realized how significant my figure was to people.»
He also noted that he was particularly touched by the reaction of the fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and those who, during the days of his «death,» intensified their attacks on the enemy, perceiving it as an act of revenge.
Kapustin emphasized that his «death» also played a strategic role: many people learned about the RVC, including in Russia, where searching for information about the corps can already lead to legal consequences.
«The information cover is closing, and people are afraid to even Google who we are,» he noted.
Separately, he apologized to friends and acquaintances who had to experience the true bitterness of loss. He recounted how, shortly before his «death,» he was signing autographs, taking photos with supporters, and understood that for many, that evening would be their last memory of him «alive».
Kapustin also confirmed that his service is within the structure of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine and that the operation was carried out on the direct assignment of the leadership. He called it an act of maximum trust and emphasized that «if it was necessary for Ukraine's victory – then that's how it should have been».
Denis Kapustin was born in 1984 in Moscow. When he was 17, his family moved to Cologne.
Denis was a fan of Moscow CSKA, a far-right activist, and engaged in martial arts. He supported Maidan and has lived in Ukraine since 2017.
In 2022, he founded the Russian Volunteer Corps in Ukraine. In Russia, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment.
On the morning of December 27, 2025, the RVC reported that Kapustin had died that night in the Zaporizhzhia direction. The cause of death was stated as a drone strike during a combat mission.
However, a few days later, on January 1, 2026, it became known that Kapustin was actually alive, and he himself appeared in a video with the then head of the GUR, Kyrylo Budanov. It turned out that the staging of his death was part of a GUR special operation.
The assassination of the head of the Russian volunteers fighting against Putin's regime, as reported, was ordered from Moscow. The perpetrator was promised half a million dollars for it. Moreover, this money was even transferred and pledged to be given for Ukraine's defense needs.
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