A special unit has been created for the Moscow 'elite' far from the front lines. There, they can safely demonstrate loyalty to the Kremlin.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain on Twitter.

According to the announcement, the husband of the well-known Russian blogger Olena Blinovska joined the unit of the Russian army, trying to prevent Blinovska from being imprisoned on charges of tax evasion. Oleksiy Blinovsky was photographed on April 16, 2024, during service in the specially created military unit of the Russian Federation 'Bars Kaskad' near Ukraine.

According to British intelligence, this unit was created by the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Dmitry Sablin. The unit mainly participates in operations with drones, usually far from the front line. It has been active since October 2022, and it includes at least 10 members of the 'United Russia' party and sons of Kremlin VIPs. It is reported that VIP members are provided with additional security measures.

"Enlistment with Bars Kaskad likely allows Russian elite figures to sidestep statutory Russian military service requirements with guaranteed safety and potentially curry favour with the Kremlin," the Ministry of Defense of Britain noted.