Russian fugitive forms 'Club of Angry Patriots' fearing military defeat in Ukraine

April 9 (UPI) -- A group of prominent Russian nationalists has announced the formation of a so-called "Club of Angry Patriots" to support a faction of pro-war officials within the Kremlin.

The announcement was made in a Russian-language video shared on YouTube on April 1 and verified by the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, D.C, on Saturday.

According to the think tank, the group was created by a former Russian officer named Igor Girkin aimed at helping Russia to win the war and avoid an internal conflict within Russia. Girkin is an international fugitive convicted of murder by a Dutch court for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines flight in 2014.

"I'm not afraid to say that we are heading towards military defeat," Girkin said, according to a translation by Insider.

Girkin has called for Russia to pursue the war in Ukraine "much more aggressively" with a full mobilization of the Russian population and has been critical of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, an investigator with the independent intelligence firm Bellingcat told Ukrainian news outlet New Voice.

"Members of the club stated that Russia will imminently face defeat in Ukraine and may experience a pro-Western coup or civil war if Moscow does not drastically improve the situation on the frontlines," ISW analysts wrote.

"The members claimed that Russian officials are unable to improve the war effort and its effects on Russian society because most Kremlin officials belong to an anti-war faction."

In the video, group members reportedly said that the anti-war faction within the Kremlin advocates for a peace settlement to regain access to overseas wealth after Western sanctions.

"The group also stated that it is attempting to build a defense network to resist a coup in Russia in such an event," according to ISW analysts.

"The members declared that the group is functioning within the framework of Russian law and will not engage in armed conflict, but will instead focus on raising public awareness in Russia so that Russian executive officials realize the danger to the Russian regime."