Ukraine claims responsibility for the assassination of pro-Russian politician in car explosion in occupied Luhansk
Ukraine claims responsibility for the targeted killing of a Kremlin-backed politician in occupied Luhansk through a car bombing, escalating tensions in the region
Ukraine claimed responsibility for the car bombing that killed a Russia-backed official in the eastern city of Luhansk on Wednesday. Mikhail Filiponenko, a former leader of the army in the self-declared Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR) and a member of the Kremlin-installed assembly, had been involved in the pro-Russian separatist movement in the region since 2014.
Filiponenko's death in a car bombing was reported by both Ukrainian and Russian authorities on Wednesday morning. Taking responsibility, Ukraine's military intelligence service promptly claimed that those affiliated with "terrorist Russia" would face comparable consequences. Ukraines Defense Intelligence announced on Telegram that a joint effort with representatives from the resistance movement had executed a special operation to eliminate Filiponenko, the executioner.
The explosion under the car's bottom, resulting in the death of Mikhail Filiponenko, prompted Russia's Investigative Committee to initiate a criminal investigation. The committee announced on Telegram that an unidentified explosive device was responsible and confirmed the commencement of a criminal case.
The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that a bomb exploded on Wednesday at 8.40 a.m., resulting in the elimination of Filiponenko Mikhail Yuryevich, the deputy of the Supreme Soviet LPR from the Russian Liberal Democratic Party. Filiponenko was implicated in the establishment of torture chambers in the occupied areas of the Luhansk region, where cruel and inhumane torture was inflicted upon prisoners of war and civilian hostages.
"Filiponenko personally brutally tortured people," it said.
A video showed the scene of the car bomb explosion that killed Filiponenko.
Stanislav Krasilnikov/Sputnik/AP
There is mounting evidence indicating Russia's extensive use of torture against Ukrainians in the territories it has occupied. According to a report in August, a significant number of Ukrainians held in Russian detention centers in Kherson were subjected to widespread torture, including instances of sexual violence. Additionally, Ukrainian prosecutors initiated over 3,000 criminal cases in September, alleging Russia's involvement in crimes against children in Ukraine, which encompassed acts of torture.
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence revealed Filiponenko's address and issued a warning to others: "We possess knowledge of all locations where traitors serve the terrorist Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine! The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine affirms that all individuals involved in war crimes and collaboration will face just retribution!"
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Russian-backed officials in occupied Ukraine have been targeted in multiple assassination attempts. One of the victims was Igor Kornet, the acting interior minister of the self-declared LPR, who sustained serious injuries in an explosion in May.
In September of the previous year, Russia unilaterally annexed four regions, namely Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The ongoing conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist groups has been primarily concentrated in Luhansk and Donetsk, which serve as breakaway republics supported by Russia since 2014. Additionally, Russian forces have occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, located in the southern part of Ukraine, since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Moscow orchestrated false elections in all four regions in September, with the aim of promoting a perception of Russian authority in the Ukrainian territories under its control. "The outcome of the elections is already widely anticipated," a Zaporizhzhia resident informed CNN prior to the polls, which unsurprisingly resulted in overwhelming triumphs for President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.
