Leonid Pasechnik
Leonid Pasechnik | |
|---|---|
| Леонид Иванович Пасечник Леонід Іванович Пасічник | |
.jpg) Pasechnik in 2022 | |
| Head of the Luhansk People's Republic | |
| Assumed office 21 November 2018 Acting: 24 November 2017 – 21 November 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Sergey Kozlov |
| Preceded by | Igor Plotnitsky |
| Minister of State Security of the Lugansk People's Republic | |
| In office 9 October 2014 – 28 November 2017 | |
| President | Igor Plotnisky |
| Preceded by | Post established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1970 Voroshilovgrad, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Peace for Lugansk Region (2014-present) United Russia (2021-present) |
| Awards | Medal For Military Service to Ukraine |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Ukraine Luhansk People's Republic |
| Branch/service |  Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Ministry of State Security of the Luhansk People's Republic |
| Years of service | 2014–2017 |
| Rank | Major General (MSS of the LPR) |
Leonid Ivanovich Pasechnik (Template:Lang-ru, Template:Lang-uk; Leonid Ivanovych Pasichnyk; born 15 March 1970) is the leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic. He has previously served as the republic's Minister of State Security from 2014 to 2017.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
Pasechnik's father worked in law enforcement,[4] for the OBKhSS, for 26 years.[3][4] In 1975 the Pasechnik family moved to Magadan in the Russian Far East[4] where Pasechnik's father was associated with gold mine operations.[3]
Pasechnik graduated the Donetsk Military-Political College and worked for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Luhansk Oblast as a chief of a detachment combating contraband operations[4] and the chief of the Stakhanov district detachment.[3] On 15 August 2006 he became famous for intercepting large quantities of contraband at Izvaryne border checkpoint ($1.94 mln and 7.24 mln Russian rubles), at the same time refusing a bribe out of principle.[3][4]
In March 2007 SBU Lieutenant Colonel Pasechnik received from the Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko a medal For Military Service to Ukraine, "for showing integrity and professionalism in the line of duty".[3]
In 2014 he sided with pro-Russian militants, becoming on 9 October 2014 a minister of State Security for the self-proclaimed state Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).[3][4]
On 21 November 2017, armed men in unmarked uniforms took up positions in the center of Luhansk in what appeared to be a power struggle between the head of the republic Igor Plotnitsky and the (sacked by Plotnitsky) LPR appointed interior minister Igor Kornet.[5][6] Three days later the website of the separatists stated that Plotnitsky had resigned "for health reasons. Multiple war wounds, the effects of blast injuries, took their toll."[7] The website stated that Pasechnik had been named acting leader "until the next elections."[7] Russian media reported that Plotnitsky had fled the unrecognised republic on 23 November 2017 to Russia.[8] On 25 November the 38-member People's Council of the LPR unanimously approved Plotnitsky's resignation.[9] Pasechnik declared his adherence to the Minsk accords, claiming "The republic will be consistently executing the obligations taken under these agreements."[10] On 30 March 2018 Pasechnik stated "Our [LPR] experience can help all regions of Ukraine eventually gain freedom and independence, and then we can together declare a new Ukraine in which representatives of different nationalities and cultures will freely live."[11] (While meeting people living in territory controlled by LPR in the summer of 2019) Pasechnik stated: "It does not mean, that we will return back into Ukraine. This is the only way to stop this madness, this war. You should understand that we, as a sovereign state will be a state within the state – that will be our special status".[12]
On 6 December 2021, Pasechnik became a member of the Russian ruling party United Russia.[13] United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev personally handed him his party ticket during the party's annual congress in Moscow.[13]
References
- ^ Леонид Пасечник стал и.о. главы ЛНР
- ^ Анатолий Антонов возглавил Министерство госбезопасности ЛНР
- ^ a b c d e f g Former SBU agent, whom Yushchenko gave a medal. Who is the new leader of "LPR" (Бывший СБУшник, которому дал медаль Ющенко. Кто такой новый главарь "ЛНР"). Espreso.tv. 24 November 2017
- ^ a b c d e f g Who is Pasechnik and what type of conflict he had with Plotnitsky (Кто такой Пасечник и какой конфликт был у него с Плотницким). DNR 24. 24 November 2017
- ^ "Kremlin 'Following' Situation in Ukraine's Russia-Backed Separatist-Controlled Luhansk". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.
- ^ "Luhansk coup attempt continues as rival militia occupies separatist region". The Independent. 22 November 2017.
- ^ a b Ukraine rebel region's security minister says he is new leader , Reuters (24 November 2017)
Separatist Leader In Ukraine's Luhansk Resigns Amid Power Struggle, Radio Free Europe (24 November 2017) - ^ "Захар Прилепин встретил главу ЛНР в самолете в Москву". meduza.io.
- ^ "Народный совет ЛНР единогласно проголосовал за отставку Плотницкого" (in Russian). Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ Lugansk People’s Republic head resigns, TASS news agency (24 November 2017)
- ^ "ЛНР have declared readiness to share experience with other areas of Ukraine" (in Russian). Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ Donbas: The new repertoire, The Ukrainian Week (28 September 2019)
- ^ a b Ukraine conflict: Putin invites separatist leaders into his party. The Times (6 December 2021)
