From NY Post: For a brief moment, the Kremlin thought it had won a small but satisfying victory.
One of its most wanted enemies, one of the most prominent anti-Putin Russians fighting alongside Ukraine, was supposedly dead, killed in a drone strike.
Instead, it was revealed only days later that the Kremlin got conned, and the $500,000 bounty money awarded ended up directly funding the very war it’s trying to win.
“White Rex,” Whose real name is Denis Kapustin, was reported to have died during a Ukrainian drone strike on December 27. Kapustin, a former football hooligan turned prominent anti-Putin Russian, is hunted as he is fighting on behalf of Ukraine.
Russian intelligence services had long hunted Kapustin, placing a $500,000 price on his head. After news broke of his supposed assassination, Moscow paid out the bounty, not realizing the money was going straight to Ukraine.
Moscow paid the $500,000 bounty, which went straight to Ukraine.
“Welcome back to life,” HUR chief General Kyrylo Budanov said.“First of all, Mr Denis, congratulations on your return to life. That is always a pleasure. I am glad that the money allocated for your assassination was used to support our struggle.”
“Our side also received a corresponding amount of funds allocated by Russian intelligence agencies for the implementation of this crime,” he added.
Russia thought it had killed one of Ukraine’s most wanted enemies, and paid a $500,000 bounty. Instead, Kyiv had faked his death and pocketed the money
Inside the deception that fooled Putin’s spies ⬇️https://t.co/PClggR5zTC pic.twitter.com/DrSppyz5Yy
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 2, 2026
Read more at NY Post
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