A Moscow military court has opened a fresh criminal case against Kirill Kanakhin, a Russian actor best known for television roles. The new charges focus on alleged membership in the Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit that Russian authorities designate as a terrorist organization. Prosecutors link him to violence in border areas near Bryansk and Belgorod and to other offenses associated with those raids. The case adds to the wider legal actions directed at the leaders and participants of the organization banned in Russia. Officials say the court is moving promptly to examine the evidence, with investigators continuing to press for accountability in connection with the border incidents.
Earlier in the year the artist was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment on charges of treason. The new proceedings will determine his alleged involvement in the group and his role in the actions attributed to it. The prosecution portrays Kanakhin as connected to the leadership and to other participants in the network that is banned on Russian soil, with the case tying him to violence that accompanied border operations.
The 2nd Military Court of the Western District has already received the case materials against the leaders and participants of the terrorist organization banned in Russia. The court is moving through the documentation as investigators outline the scope of the alleged activities and the individuals involved, seeking to hold those responsible to account.
On September 19 the case was transferred to a judge; after reviewing the investigation materials, the judge will set the date of the first hearing. Observers expect that the proceedings will proceed with adherence to the usual legal chronology, including any limitations tied to sensitive information in the file.
The trial is planned in absentia because the defendants are on Ukrainian territory, and parts of the case are sealed due to state secrets. This arrangement reflects the practical realities of conducting such hearings when defendants reside outside the country and portions of the record remain restricted for security reasons.
In February investigators found that Kanakhin was part of a detachment associated with Ukrainian operations and took part in at least two attacks on Russian villages. The findings link the actor to occurrences that authorities describe as dangerous incursions into Russian territory, reinforcing the seriousness of the case.
In early September accomplices of the actor from the RDK were placed on an international wanted list, signaling continued cross border interest and the broader international dimension of the investigations surrounding the group involved in the case.”