From school desks in Genoa to Donbass, from school desks to the war. 19-year-old Kevin Chiappalone is the first Italian to be investigated for wanting to fight the Russians in Ukraine. A CasaPound sympathiser, the boy announced his intention to enlist in the armed forces in Kyiv last March. Now he faces a prison sentence of between 2 and 7 years.
Deputy Prosecutor Marco Zocco of the Genoese District’s Anti-Mafia and Counter-Terrorism Directorate has accused him of being a mercenary hired in the Ukrainian International Brigade and faces a prison sentence of two to seven years. The Digos investigation began after the young man told the weekly Panorama that he wanted to leave Ukraine to defend it after hearing Putin talk about the “denazification of the country”. From what he has learned, the boy left in May with no experience whatsoever in the military or handling weapons (if not even a passion for airsoft), probably entering the country via the Polish border.
After a training phase, as some photos on social media show, he is now in Donbass. At the moment the young man is the only suspect, but investigators are trying to understand if there are other mercenaries and if there is a network of recruiters. Digos interviewed several people from CasaPound. From what came out, he would have done everything himself via the internet. He would have arrived in Poland by plane and taken the bus from there to the front.
Chiappalone has long posted pictures on Instagram in camouflage and with guns in hand, documenting his actions. The last picture a few hours ago with the Ukrainian flag emoji and the caption: “Our dreams and desires change the world”. In early June, another photo was posted from Ukraine hugging a puppy. “How are we, Spleen?” write him a contact. And he replies: “The day before yesterday I lost a friend.” And then the videos of far-right demonstrations in Italy, photos mingling with those of apparent normalcy – released only a few months ago – with friends around and as a child by the sea. He told his parents that he would be working as a volunteer in Sanremo, and when he was done he revealed his true goal: the war in Ukraine.