Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has spent just over two years in the war-torn country. Both as a humanitarian worker, but also as a volunteer soldier at the front, both within the military intelligence service GUR and the current National Guard. “Hufsa”, as he calls himself, took part in an interview with The Swedish Daily at the end of September.
A few days later, he was hanged with his name and picture by the Russian embassy in Stockholm.
“Definitely want to send a warning”
“We would once again like to remind all those who want to follow in his footsteps and become complicit in the criminal acts of the Kiev regime that Russia will definitely find out about you, and you will mandatorily get what you deserve for your atrocities,” they wrote among other in the post published on the embassy’s social media.
– They definitely want to send a warning to everyone who supports Ukraine, says “Hufsa”.
When TV4 Nyheterna talks to him, he is in a hospital in Kyiv. He has been there for almost a month.
On August 28, he was wounded at the front, where he served as a sniper.
– I first see that a drone is coming that is ours. But a few minutes later another one comes, and we react to one it moves in slightly strange patterns. Then maybe half a minute goes by before I hear a click.
The drone drops an RGD-5 type grenade, with a lethal radius of three meters upon explosion.
– It explodes maybe a meter up in the air and barely two meters behind me.
Was seriously injured
He received shrapnel through both feet and suffered serious injuries to the back of his leg. Now he has undergone several operations and can now walk without crutches again.
He himself does not feel afraid because of the embassy’s post, but will continue to fight for Ukraine.
– I am not affected. But it may well go in line with their red lines that they run all the time. That “you do this and we will send atomic bombs”. There have been many who have been hanged in the past, but nothing has happened since then, he says.
“Incitement to malice and atrocity”
However, he reacts to the play – which he thinks stands out.
– I think it feels extremely foreign to an embassy and very inappropriate. Normally, I think that an embassy should first and foremost try to promote the relationship with their host country. Don’t go out like this and hang out their citizens, he says and continues:
– I don’t know if it leads to any reprisals for them. But it is a bit of an invitation to malice and evil. And not just against me.
TV4 Nyheterna has searched the Russian embassy in Stockholm.
“Hufsa” has approved the publication of the data and is aware of the risk of his identity being exposed.