An actor who was the star of one of Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s favorite movies said he feels “nothing but hatred” for his homeland, adding that he is prepared to fight for Ukraine.
Artur Smolyaninov told Novaya Gazeta that he would even be prepared to shoot a former colleague who went to fight for Russia in Ukraine, adding that there would be “no mercy” towards his homeland’s soldiers if he was on the frontlines in Ukraine.
Smolyaninov was the hero of “Devyataya Rota” (The 9th Company), a Russian feature film that came out in 2005. The film is about a Soviet unit making a last-ditch stand against Afghan insurgents.
He played the part of the last soldier standing during a battle in Afghanistan, which Soviet forces occupied for a decade.
He was often described as Russia’s Rambo, a nod to the US action movies starring Sylvester Stallone.
However, because of what he said, the Russian Ministry of Justice classified the actor as a foreign agent.
Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, also ordered that a criminal case be opened against Smolyaninov.
