"Beneath the frescoed ceilings and golden icons of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, hundreds of men packed tightly into the lower hall as priests intoned prayers for the dead. Dressed in dark winter jackets, the mourners on Monday filled one of Russia's most sacred spaces a church usually reserved for moments of state ritual and national commemoration. Later, near his grave, the crowd lit bright flares and shouted: One for all, and all for one."
"They had gathered to bid farewell to Stanislav Orlov, better known by his callsign Spaniard, the founder of the far-right Espanola unit a formation of football hooligans and neo-Nazi volunteers who fought as a paramilitary force on Russia's side in Ukraine. Russian pro-war Telegram channels framed the funeral as an act of consecration: a battlefield commander laid to rest at the heart of Moscow's spiritual and political establishment."
"Orlov was not killed on the battlefield in Ukraine, but was ambushed and shot at his home in Russian-annexed Crimea by Moscow's own security services. On Monday, Astra, an anti-war outlet operating in exile, published CCTV footage that it said showed the moments before Orlov was killed, with a group of armed Russian servicemen arriving outside his house, followed by the sound of gunshots. Astra reported that an ambulance only arrived to collect Orlov's body six hours later."
At Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, hundreds packed the lower hall as priests intoned prayers for the dead. Mourners lit flares near Orlov's grave and chanted. Stanislav Orlov, callsign Spaniard, founded the far‑right Espanola unit of football hooligans and neo‑Nazi volunteers who fought as a paramilitary force in Ukraine. Russian pro‑war channels framed the funeral as consecration. No official cause of death was announced, prompting speculation. Reports said Orlov was ambushed and shot at his home in Russian‑annexed Crimea. Exile outlet Astra published CCTV that it said showed armed servicemen arriving before gunshots, and an ambulance arriving six hours later. Analysts say the death reflects a broader Kremlin crackdown on renegade units.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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