Ex-journalist from Odesa now fights for Russia

Alik Vetrov, once a journalist in Odesa, now fights against Ukraine in the ranks of the Russian army. Social media users identified him through recent videos and photos taken in the combat zone, reports the regional representative of the Institute of Mass Information, who also recognized the ex-journalist.

In the photos, Vetrov is seen posing next to a North Korean self-propelled artillery mount “Koksan”, which is used by Russia's newly formed artillery brigades.

Screenshot of Volodymyr Zlatskyi's Facebook post

Screenshot of Serhiy Sternenko's post on Telegram

His identity was confirmed by Odesa-based journalists and public activists. Vetrov is open about his participation in the war against Ukraine: he has posted an Instagram photo of himself wearing Russian army uniform and badges.

Alik Vetrov, photo by Alik Vetrov on Instagram

Vetrov's name first surfaced in 2015, when the SBU disrupted the pro-Russian "constituent conference of the People's Council of Bessarabia" in Odesa. At that time, he was one of the organizers who were detained on suspicion of inciting separatism and creating fake structures posing as the region's national communities.