Mayor of Petrozavodsk, northwest Russia, Vladimir Lyubarsky will join the Russian forces fighting in the Ukraine war, he announced via his social media.

According to him, while on leave he received training in the Russian Special Forces University in Chechnya. Later today, he intends to fly into Petrozavodsk to hand over his official responsibilities. He will then return to Chechnya to become a member of the Akhmat battalion, Ramzan Kadyrov’s special forces unit. His decision was backed by Artur Parfenchikov, Governor of Karelia where Petrozavodsk is located.

“We need to understand that the country will not be the same anymore. And those mobilised during the special military operation (as the Kremlin refers to the Ukraine war — translator’s note) alone will not solve the issues which need to be addressed. Otherwise, we will cease to exist entirely. This threat is there, I believe that it’s not far-fetched, it is completely real,” Lyubarsky explained his decision.

In the past few months, several regional officials reported that they would go to Ukraine to join Russia’s war. In particular, Chita Mayor Alexander Sapozhnikov headed to Ukraine in November 2022. In June, he reported that he would not be able to return to the frontlines over health issues.

In September, Secretary of the General Council of United Russia, Russia’s ruling party, Andrey Turchak said that four lower house lawmakers requested to be sent to the combat zone to fight as part of the Russian army.