Aussie Cossack Simeon Boikov ‘honoured by Putin citizenship gift’

Self-styled ‘Aussie Cossack’ Simeon Boikov says he is ‘honoured’ to have been granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin.

Simeon Boikov..

Self-styled “Aussie Cossack” Simeon Boikov says he is “honoured” to have been granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin, and declared his commitment to serving “the motherland”.

Speaking from the Russian consulate in Sydney where he is seeking refuge from NSW police warrants, the pro-Kremlin, anti-voice activist said he did not intend to renounce his Australian citizenship.

Russian law prevents its nationals holding dual citizenship with any country except Turkmenistan and Tajikistan but Mr Boikov said an exception had been made in his case because of his “special services to the Russian Federation”.

He said he was “extremely thankful” to Mr Putin, and renewed his call to be allowed to leave Australia for Moscow in prisoner swap for a Western hostage. “I’m happy to be swapped for anyone. (Journalist Evan) Gershkovich from the Wall Street Journal, for example,” Boikov said.

His name was listed among 41 foreign-born applicants granted Russian citizenship on Wednesday in recognition of their “service to the motherland”.

The Australian-born Mr Boikov, whose father is a Russian orthodox priest, has been holed up in the Russian consulate for 10 months, refusing to hand himself over to police for an alleged assault on a pro-Ukraine protester.

He has been spending his time there organising anti-voice protests, or “world freedom rallies”.

The official No campaign has distanced itself from the pro-Putin activist, but Mr Boikov continues to agitate against the proposed constitutional reform in broadcasts for Gold Coast-based TNT Radio.

Despite being stuck in the consulate under threat of returning to prison, he said he was “very comfortable” with his situation.

“I have freedom here,” he said. “I can‘t go to the beach or go shopping in Westfield or whatever. But, within the framework of the consulate, I have freedom.

“Maybe the most important thing is I have freedom to broadcast.”

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko urged authorities to consider Mr Boikov’s behaviour under the nation’s foreign interference laws.

“He is using a foreign mission to organise political protests within Australia,” Mr Myroshnychenko said.

“This could be interpreted as a malign foreign influence.”

He said there was no doubt Boikov’s Russian citizenship was fast-tracked, which required “friends in high places”.