The hero of the 9th Company was Russian actor Artur Smolyaninov, 39, often described as the Russian Rambo.
The 2005 Russian war movie was one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite films. On that occasion, Putin invited the actors, including Smolyaninov, to his residence outside Moscow where they watched the film together.
But a lot has changed since then.
Bitter dispute: “Theft”
– I feel nothing but hatred for the Russian people on the front line. If I were on earth, there would be no mercy.
This is what Smolganinov said in a new interview with the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta last week, he writes CNN.
The actor told about a former classmate who went to Russia to fight there.
– Am I going to shoot him? Undoubtedly. Do I keep my options open to fight for Ukraine? at all. If I was going to fight in this war, I would only have fought for Ukraine.
A few days later, the actor was classified as a foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice. He also ordered the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, to open a criminal case against Smolyaninov.
The actor spoke about the war for the first time last summer.
– Everything is collapsing: there is ashes, smoke and tears, Smolaninov said in an interview when he was still in Russia.
In October last year, he left his home country and is currently believed to be in Latvia.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
