Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists explained

Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists
Native Name:Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов
Other Name:BOAK
Leader:Decentralized leadership
Dates:from
Country:
Belarus
Allegiance: Russian opposition
Belarusian opposition
Ideology:Anarcho-communism
Insurrectionary anarchism
Anti-Putinism
Anti-authoritarianism[1]
Position:Far-left
Crimes:Rail war in Russia (2022-present)
Rail war in Belarus (2022–present)
Russian military commissariats attacks
Battles:Belarusian and Russian partisan movement (2022–present)
Status:Active
Identification Symbol Label:Motto
Identification Symbol:"Freedom or death! Long live the revolution!"
Allies: Revolutionary Action
Resistance Committee
Black Bridge
Opponents: Government of Russia
Government of Belarus
PMC Wagner
Website:boakmirror.noblogs.org

The Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists (Russian: Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов|Boyevaya organizatsiya anarkho-kommunistov; BOAK) is a militant anarcho-communist organization in Eastern Europe, part of the Belarusian and Russian partisan movement.[2] [3] It aims for social revolution and a libertarian socialist society. Since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has sabotaged railway infrastructure in Russia and Belarus, as well as attacking Russian military commissariats and telecommunications. According to The Insider, the group has become "the most active 'subversive' force" in Russia since the war began.[4]

History

The group's blog has been active since at least September 2020.[5] In their interviews, members of the group said that the organization has existed for years before it decided to engage in partisan activity after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3] The BOAK-affiliated 'Anarchist Fighter' website and Telegram channel have existed since 2018.[6]

Opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, BOAK claimed responsibility for actions designed to disrupt the logistics of the Russian Army in the Russian Federation and Belarus, organizing sabotage, arson of military registration and enlistment offices and rail wars in Belarus and Russia.[7] [8] [9] A spokesperson for BOAK stated, "The war in Ukraine, unleashed by the Russian state, is a terrible tragedy, but the war created opportunities for the revolutionary minority, through partisan actions, to deepen the crisis of the system."[9]

The name BOAK first time appeared in public on 18 April 2022 when the group claimed responsibility for sabotage of cell phone tower near village Belomestnoye in Belgorod Oblast, border region with Ukraine. The aim of an attack was declared to damage military communication network.[10]

On 23 May 2022 BOAK claimed sabotage action against military railway tracks leading to the 12th Chief Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense near Sergiyev Posad in Moscow Oblast. According to the BOAK website, some rails were deconstructed.[11]

On 28 June 2022 the cell "BOAK-Vladimir" published a press release claiming sabotage action on railway of military unit 55443 VD Barsovo (51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) near Kirzhach in Vladimir Oblast. The rails were damaged. BOAK's press release stated, "Every stopped train helps to get rid of missiles and rockets, which could hit peaceful Ukrainian cities!"[12]

On 9 October 2022, BOAK posted photos of sabotaged railway tracks in Barnaul, claiming that the sabotage had successfully derailed a freight train.[13]

In an interview with British journalist Jake Hanrahan, members of BOAK claimed that they found their targets using intelligence from Wikimapia, an open source mapping project that details the location of Russian military infrastructure. One of the interviewees said that they were willing to die fighting the Russian state, rather than be subjected to torture in a Russian prison.[14]

In January 2023, BOAK claimed responsibility for an explosion that damaged a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Krasnoyarsk.[15]

On 19 April 2023, Dmitry Petrov, one of the organisation's founders, was killed in the battle of Bakhmut while fighting for the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces.[16] [17] [18]

On 24 June 2023, the Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists issued a communique in reaction to the Wagner Group rebellion, stating that: "neither the Putin regime nor Prigozhin are our friends. In this fight between two cannibals, anarchists should stay away—let them bleed each other as much as possible. That way, they won't be able to disturb people in the future." Calling upon the Russian people to "spend this time preparing for an armed uprising."[19]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: In Memory of Dmitry Petrov. 3 May 2023. CrimethInc.. 25 November 2023.
  2. Web site: 2022-07-06. Рельсовая война в рф. Кто такие анархо-коммунисты, и как они воюют против путинизма (ВИДЕО) Inshe.tv. 2022-08-11. inshe.tv. uk. 9 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220809173644/https://inshe.tv/suspilstvo/2022-07-06/691349/. live.
  3. Web site: Ongoing Sabotage and Resistance to War in Russia and Ukraine: Interview with BOAK/Anarchist Communist Combat Organization libcom.org. 2022-08-11. libcom.org. en. 11 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220811193932/https://libcom.org/article/ongoing-sabotage-and-resistance-war-russia-and-ukraine-interview-boakanarchist-communist. live.
  4. Web site: Zemlyanskaya. Alisa. Этот поезд в огне: как российские партизаны поджигают военкоматы и пускают поезда под откос. The Insider. 2022-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20220810092620/https://theinsider.pro/politika/252389. 2022-08-10. ru. 2022-07-05.
  5. Web site: Боевая Организация Анархо-Коммунистов Page 4. 2022-08-11. en-US. 21 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221021233641/https://boakmirror.noblogs.org/page/4/. live.
  6. Web site: Боец Анархист. Telegram. 19 August 2022. 19 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819132854/https://t.me/BO_AK_reborn. live.
  7. Web site: "Инструкции из даркнета". Как анархо-коммунисты совершают диверсии в РФ и что это за люди. 2022-08-11. nv.ua. ru. 7 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220707211244/https://nv.ua/world/countries/eto-raznorodnaya-gruppa-lyudey-kotorye-protiv-putina-zhurnalistka-poslednie-novosti-50255001.html. live.
  8. Web site: 2022-07-05. "Боевая организация анархо-коммунистов" объявила в России рельсовая войну – СМИ. 2022-08-11. Telegraf.news. ru-RU. 11 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220811192150/https://telegraf.news/world-news/v-rossii-nachalas-relsovaya-vojna-smi/. live.
  9. Web site: McDonald. Karl. 2022-08-05. How Russia's anarchist saboteurs are destroying Putin's war machine from within. 2022-08-11. inews.co.uk. en. 25 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220825222433/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/russia-anarchist-saboteurs-destroying-putin-war-machine-1781388. live.
  10. Web site: Arson attack on a cell tower in Belomestnoye (Belgorod Oblast) | Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists. 19 August 2022. 19 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819131817/https://boakeng.noblogs.org/post/2022/04/22/arson-attack-on-a-cell-tower-in-belomestnoye-belgorod-oblast/. live.
  11. Web site: Sabotage of railway tracks leading to the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of RF | Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists. 19 August 2022. 19 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819132843/https://boakeng.noblogs.org/post/2022/05/26/sabotage-of-railway-tracks-leading-to-the-12th-chief-directorate-of-the-ministry-of-defense-of-rf/. live.
  12. Web site: Sabotage action on the railway of military unit 55443 VD Barsovo (51th Arsenal of the Main rocket-artillery department of Russian Defense ministry) | Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists. 19 August 2022. 19 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819132852/https://boakeng.noblogs.org/post/2022/07/04/sabotage-action-on-the-railway-of-military-unit-55443-vd-barsovo-51th-arsenal-of-the-main-rocket-artillery-department-of-russian-defense-ministry/. live.
  13. Web site: 16 October 2022. Mobilizing against mobilization – the first crack in the Kremlin regime? Part 15. 12 November 2022. LibCom. 12 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221112124350/https://libcom.org/article/mobilizing-against-mobilization-first-crack-kremlin-regime-part-15. live.
  14. Web site: 'It's Not His Country, It's Ours': The Russian 'Partisans' At War with the Kremlin. Amos. Chapple. 3 January 2023. 4 January 2023. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 3 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230103235341/https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-anti-kremlin-partisans-war-sabotage-jake-hanrahan-film/32205391.html. live.
  15. Web site: Russian saboteurs seek to hamper Putin's war machine. Niko. Vorobyov. 25 January 2023. 28 January 2023. Al Jazeera. 27 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230127122150/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/25/russian-saboteurs-seek-to-hamper-putins-war-machine. live.
  16. Web site: Veniamin Volin . 2023-05-20 . Ultra left-wing Russian activist who fought on the side of Ukraine killed in Bakhmut. His friend recalls how he ended up in Ukraine and what he fought for . 2023-06-17 . Novaya Gazeta Europe . 17 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230617233342/https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/05/20/ultra-left-wing-russian-activist-who-fought-on-the-side-of-ukraine-killed-in-bakhmut-en . live .
  17. Web site: 2023-05-03 . In Memory of Dmitry Petrov : An Incomplete Biography and Translation of His Work . 2023-06-17 . CrimethInc. . en . 17 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230617233343/https://uk.crimethinc.com/2023/05/03/in-memory-of-dmitry-petrov-an-incomplete-biography-and-translation-of-his-work . live .
  18. Web site: Anna Pavlova . 2023-07-07 . Nine lives of an anarchist. The story of Dmitry Petrov, an activist from Russia who fought for Ukraine and died in the battle of Bakhmut . 2023-07-25. . en . 18 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230718103416/https://en.zona.media/article/2023/07/07/petrov/ . live .
  19. Web site: Russian Anarchists on the Wagner Mutiny. 24 June 2023. 24 June 2023. CrimethInc.. 24 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230624094433/https://crimethinc.com/2023/06/24/russian-anarchists-on-the-wagner-mutiny-combat-organization-of-anarcho-communists-and-movement-of-irkutsk-anarchists. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.