A senior figure linked to Vladimir Putin and the leader of a notorious private military group made up of far-right football hooligans has died under mysterious circumstances.
New reports claim Stanislav Orlov, widely known as “Spaniard”, was shot dead shortly after Russian “security forces” arrived at his country home near Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Orlov, 44, was the commander of Espaniola, a battalion formed largely from extremist football supporters.
According to the independent outlet Important Stories, several unmarked vehicles, including a black SUV, a van and a minibus with military plates, pulled up to Orlov’s residence before armed men entered the property.
“Security forces emerged from the vehicles, after which residents heard gunshots,” the report said, adding that CCTV footage showed an ambulance removing Orlov’s body around six hours later.
Another outlet, ASTRA, reported that masked men carrying automatic weapons were seen at the scene, with witnesses claiming Orlov did not return fire. The precise cause of death remains unclear, with conflicting accounts suggesting he may have been killed during an arrest linked to alleged illegal arms trafficking.
Speculation has also circulated that Orlov died in custody, while some pro-war bloggers claimed he was shot while resisting arrest. Russian authorities have avoided using the word “killed”, stating only that he “died”, and have yet to provide a detailed explanation.
Orlov’s battalion, formed in 2022, recruited radical fans from clubs including CSKA Moscow, Spartak, Zenit and Lokomotiv, and later trained women recruits as snipers. The group was sanctioned by the UK government in 2024 and reportedly disbanded in October, with its fighters absorbed into structures controlled by Russia’s defence ministry and security agencies.
Analysts say the episode fits a growing pattern of ultra-nationalist war figures initially useful to the Kremlin later being sidelined, absorbed or eliminated as Moscow tightens control over the war. Comparisons have been drawn to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a 2023 plane crash widely viewed as a Kremlin-linked assassination.
Despite ongoing investigations, basic facts surrounding Orlov’s death, including the exact date and location, remain uncertain. His funeral was held at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, an honour rarely granted to war combatants.
In a statement, his family said: “We cannot help but note that many are interested in the cause of Spaniard’s death, and we are no less so. The central investigative bodies are currently determining the exact cause and those responsible.”
