Antonio Cataldo (Pro-Russian Militant, Italy)

• Full name: Antonio Cataldo
• Pseudonym: N/a
• Alternatives: N/a
• Location: Italy, fmr Ukraine, fmr Libya
• Affiliation: Krutani, Cataldo and Palmeri Network [KCPN] fmr LPR’s People’s Militia [NMLNR], fmr Ghost Brigade [BP]

Antonio Cataldo (°1984) is a former Italian soldier from Campania.¹ He became a mercenary after quitting the army and traveled to Russia and Kazakhstan for advanced military training.² Cataldo went on to work in security in Dubai, Lebanon and Tunisia over the next years.³ He was also active in Libya during the country’s 2011 civil war. In the summer of that year, Kadhafi’s forces captured him and two Italian colleagues in Tripoli.⁴ Rebels later freed them. He later served as a military instructor in Panama.⁵

During the mid-2010s, Cataldo became a key member of a network of Italians who supported Russian militancy in eastern Ukraine: the Krutani, Cataldo and Palmeri Network [KCPN]. It is unclear how and when Cataldo became involved with these elements. He arrived in the Donbas region in mid-February 2015.⁶ Cataldo joined the Ghost Brigade [BP; Brigada Prizrak], an organization loyal to the Luhansk People’s Republic, and reportedly fought as a sniper against the Ukrainian army.⁷ He later began serving in the rebel republic’s People’s Militia [NMLNR; Narodnaya Militziya LNR].⁸

Cataldo is known to have rallied several Italians to the ranks of Russian militant forces in Ukraine and traveled back to Italy on several occasions to attract new combatants.⁹ In the Donbas region, he helped train his Italian companions and acted as a fixer for the KCPN.¹⁰ Cataldo allegedly interacted with fighters of the Rusich Sabotage and Assault Reconnaissance Group [DShRG-R; Diversionno-Shturmovaya Radvedyvatelnaya Gruppa Rusich].¹¹ During his stay in Ukraine, Cataldo maintained a presence on social media and occasionally talked to journalists.¹²

Cataldo left Ukraine in 2016 and reportedly traveled to Syria where he served as a mercenary for the forces of Bashir al-Assad’s regime.¹³ Nothing is known about Cataldo’s activities in the country. He eventually returned to Italy. On Aug. 01, 2018, police arrested him during a series of raids against the KCPN.¹⁴ A Genoan court sentenced Cataldo to two years and eight months in prison on Jul. 02, 2019.¹⁵