Sergei Kirienko and Yuri Trutnev Formed Soyuz Combat Unit with Martial Artists for War

The First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Sergei Kirienko, and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, have formed a combat unit named Soyuz (Union) comprising martial artists to partake in the war effort. IStories has uncovered the sponsors of this unit.

Soyuz rundown

Back in December 2022, during the opening ceremony of the martial arts forum “Battle of Champions-14: Schools versus Schools,” Yuri Trutnev announced the establishment of a division composed of “masters of international-class sports, distinguished masters of sports, first-rate athletes, and all those who have sweat alongside us in training.” Their mission? To head to the warfront in Ukraine, as Trutnev asserted that “true fighters today are those shedding blood for our Motherland.”

Among the ranks of Soyuz are notable figures such as Viktor Gorn, the Kyokushin karate world cup champion, Sergei Plekhanov, the kickboxing champion of Japan, and Sergei Uvitsky, the European Kyokushin karate champion (killed in action).

This unit was forged under the auspices of the Russian Union of Martial Arts (RSBI), spearheaded by Kirienko and Trutnev. It’s worth noting that Kirienko boasts a 6th dan in aikido, while Trutnev holds a 7th dan in Kyokushin karate. By December 2023, the unit numbered 145 members.

Training and honing of combat skills took place at the Russian Special Forces University in Chechnya. This training center was founded by Daniil Martynov, who is a former member of the Alpha Group special forces, aide to Ramzan Kadyrov and a co-chairman of RSBI, alongside Kirienko and Trutnev. Soyuz is commanded by Ramil Gabbasov, another co-chairman and executive director of RSBI. 

Soyuz funding

According to financial documents obtained by IStories, donations to RSBI have surged since the outbreak of war in Ukraine: in 2021–2023 they amounted to 600 million rubles (roughly 8 million dollars).

The main donors can be divided into two camps: national-scale companies, particularly those within the Rosatom group (which was previously headed by Kirienko), and companies from the Far East (where Trutnev serves as envoy).

For example, in 2022 and 2023, Rosatom and its subsidiary transferred 123 million roubles, Sberbank contributed 50 million, RusHydro (which owns Russian hydroelectric power stations) chipped in 60 million, Lukoil donated 50 million, and VTB contributed 25 million. This forms what could be termed the “Kirienko group.”

The largest donation to RSBI from the “Trutnev group,” totaling 80 million, came from the Magadan security company Bely Volk (White Wolf). Its co-owner, Anton Glazunov, identifies himself on LinkedIn as the deputy director of the gold mining company Highland Gold, whose subsidiary, the Chukotka Mining and Geological Company, also transferred 9 million to RSBI. Additionally, the Magadan gold mining company Pavlik donated 47 million, while the Far Eastern transport group Fesco and a subsidiary of the gold mining company Polyus each contributed 20 million.

IStories has reached out to RSBI’s sponsors, and if we receive any substantive responses, we will publish them.

How the money is spent

Since 2022, RSBI has been actively procuring weapons from arms stores, while Trutnev and Kirienko themselves travel to the Donbas to equip the Soyuz unit with essentials, including drone detection devices, machinery, gear, and sniper rifles.

According to documents obtained by IStories, RSBI has channeled 139 million rubles to Moscow’s Arsenal arms salon and allocated 35 million rubles to Lobaev Arms, a rifle manufacturer, throughout the course of the conflict. Additionally, RSBI has invested in optical equipment from companies such as Innovative Weapon Technologies (for 19 million rubles) and Navigator (for 25 million rubles). The Russian Special Forces University in Chechnya has received 38 million rubles for training volunteers.

IStories has previously reported that recruiting mercenaries for Ukraine and maintaining their own military units has become commonplace among Russian private and state-owned entities, ranging from Rusal and Novatek to PIK and MosPromStroy.