I’m warrior ‘Caesar’ leading anti-Putin army inside Russia – we’ll make sure Vlad falls just like weak pal Assad in 2025

THE leader of an anti-Putin militant group fighting inside Russia says the tyrant is set to fall like his pal Bashar al-Assad.

Maximilian Andronnikov, better known as Caesar, says he will fight all the way to the Kremlin - or to the grave.

Caesar, 50, is the leader of the Freedom of Russia Legion - a militant group of Russians seeking to overthrow Vladimir Putin.

Currently, he and his men are fighting in the east of Ukraine against Russia's army.

The 50-year-old has told The Sun he is prepared to "fight to the end" and see the dictator fall.

But Caesar thinks Putin could be toppled quickly as the Russian army is heading towards the kind of critical failure that affected pal Assad in Syria.

Caesar said it was almost unbelievable Assad had fallen after 50 years of family rule and the extreme measures he used to stay in power.

Caesar said: "He used chemical weapons against his own people 200 times and he's fallen in 10 days!

"The same situation can be in our country."

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are "exhausted" and lack motivated infantry, weapons, and ammunition, he said.

Caesar believes less people can be conscripted by Putin or will volunteer to fight. which is why Russia has turned to allies like North Korea for troop-support. 

He said: "Our mission now to force them to pay a lot of blood for every inch of our ground."

Caesar believes the Russian armed forces will soon be in a "crisis" with poor moral and bad wages.

Eventually, he thinks the Russian army will buckle and Putin will be overthrown. 

He said: "It's a law, it's an old Russian proverb - Russians are very slow to begin, but are very fast to rise.

"Will it be invasions from territory of Ukraine? Or will it be some coup? Or some rebellion inside Russia? It is just a matter of time, we will see."

Until then, the Freedom of Russia Legion is a top target for the tyrant's troops as it poses the direct threat to Vlad himself. 

So, he can't reveal the exact locations his men are currently fighting in, but did say they had fought in the bloody battle of Bakhmut.

Caesar said his troops are known for having one of the best mortar squads and for being able to conduct sabotage inside Russia.

He said: "We are fighting against the Putin regime, and this is a bright example for our citizens.

"Putin and his generals are very, very, very afraid of us.

"That's why, if they will know our direction, they will bomb us." 

New year, same war

Caesar said he's feeling optimistic for 2025 as he thinks public support in Russia for the invasion is dwindling.

He said: "Every almost every man on vacation with their friends speaks about: 'We have to end this crazy war. We have to go home. Let this war end'."

Peace between Russia and Ukraine is now a real possibility with Donald Trump claiming he will get it done and Putin making overtures to the president-elect.

But any peace deal may see Kyiv have to cede the eastern regions to Russia that Putin's army currently controls.

Caesar said Putin will use any peace with Ukraine to prepare for another invasion.

He said: "It's just a tactical decision, because Putin couldn't win this war.

"Once again he will try to split it [conquering Ukraine] into parts.

"In 2014 it was the 1st part of war, in 2022, the second [part] began and now, when Putin's troops are exhausted, he wants to stop it, to set it on pause to reinforce it [the army] and I clearly understand that it will pass about 3, 5, or 7 years, and the war will begin again.

"Even if the Ukrainian Government signs  a peace treaty, it will not be an end of war.

"Both sides will prepare for the third part of this war."

But Caesar said giving away land would make the Ukrainian people feel "betrayed" as Putin would attack again, putting all those who have already died in vain.

There is no other way to find a lasting peace in Europe than for Putin to be ousted directly, Caesar said.

He said: "I do not fear those bastards.

"Me and my brothers now will do our duty until the end. I believe that we can do it really, and we will do it.

"Our duty as the citizens of Russian is to really stop this war, and there is only one way to stop this war.

"This way is the destruction of Putin regime."

The Freedom of Russia Legion, he said, is defending "freedom, the most valuable thing in our civilization."

Caesar also had a warning for Europe and Brits about what Putin would do in Ukraine if he were to win.

The militant believes Putin will conscript battle-hardened Ukrainians to his army and invade other countries.

He said: "Ukraine now is the front line of all Western civilization.

"They defend freedom of all Europe with a very high cost.

"You [Britain] have to help Ukrainian any way you can."