Leonid Ivanovich Pasechnik (Russian: Леони́д Ива́нович Па́сечник; Ukrainian: Леонід Іванович Пасічник, romanized: Leonid Ivanovych Pasichnyk; born 15 March 1970) is a Russian politician. Head of the Luhansk People's Republic from 21 November 2018.[3]
Leonid Pasechnik | |
|---|---|
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| Head of the Luhansk People's Republic | |
| Assumed office 21 November 2018 | |
| President | Vladimir Putin |
| Prime Minister | Sergey Kozlov |
| Preceded by | Igor Plotnitsky |
| Minister of State Security of the Luhansk People’s Republic | |
| In office 9 October 2014 – 21 November 2018 | |
| President | Igor Plotnisky |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Anatoly Antonov |
| Head of the Stakhanovsky interdistrict department of the Security Service of Ukraine | |
| In office 9 April 2010 – 20 December 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1970 |
| Party | United Russia (2021–present) |
Other political affiliations | Peace to Luhanshchyna (2014–present) |
| Donetsk Military-Political College | |
Awards | Medal For Military Service to Ukraine |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Formerly
|
| Branch/service |  Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Ministry of State Security of the Luhansk People's Republic Administration of the head of the Luhansk People's Republic |
Years of service | 1993–present |
| Rank | Colonel (2013) Major General (Russia) |
Prior to his political career, Pasechnik served in the Security Service of Ukraine.
Background and military career
editPasechnik's father, Ivan Sergeyevich, worked in Soviet law enforcement, for the OBKhSS, for 26 years.[4] In 1975 the Pasechnik family moved to Magadan in the Russian Far East[5] where Pasechnik's father was associated with gold mine operations.[4]
Career in the Security Service of Ukraine
editFrom 1993 to December 2013, he worked as in the state security agencies. He served in the Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the Luhansk Oblast, served as head of the anti-smuggling unit of the main department "K". Since 2010, he has been the head of the Stakhanovsky interdistrict department of the SBU of Ukraine. In 2013, he was discharged from the service with the rank of colonel.[6]
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 reportedly refusing a bribe out of principle.[7][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" during the aforementioned operation.[4][7]
Career in the Luhansk People's Republic
editMinister of State Security (2014–2017)
editIn 2014 he sided with residents of Lugansk, becoming on 9 October 2014 a minister of State Security for the state Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).[4]
Head Luhansk People's Republic (from 2018)
editOn 21 November 2017, He became acting head of the head of the Luhansk Republic, and a year later he was elected to this position.
Three days later, a government statement declared that Plotnitsky had resigned "for health reasons (due to) multiple war wounds (and) the effects of blast injuries, (which) took their toll."[8] It was also stated that Pasechnik had been named acting leader "until the next elections."[8] On 25 November the 38-member People's Council of the LPR unanimously approved the change in leadership.[9]
Pasechnik's position on the Minsk Agreements has been unclear. Upon taking office, he quickly declared his adherence to the Minsk Agreements, saying that "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 member card during the party's annual congress in Moscow.[13]
On 27 March 2022, Pasechnik said that the LPR may hold a referendum to join Russia in the near future.[14][15] The authorities of the Luhansk People's Republic eventually scheduled a referendum on the republic's entry into Russia as a federal subject for 23–27 September.[16]
On 30 September 2022, Pasechnik, together with the head of the Donetsk People's Republic Pushilin, governors of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions Vladimir Saldo, Yevgeny Balitsky, attended in Moscow the ceremony in which President of Russia Vladimir Putin formally announced the incorporation of those regions into Russia.[17]
See also
editNotes
edit- ↑ Luhansk is claimed by both Russia and Ukraine. As of October 2025, Russia controls the city but is internationally recognized as being part of Ukraine.
References
edit- ↑ https://news.gtrklnr.ru/news/lnr/16741-glava-lnr-leonid-pasechnik-pozdravil-zaschitnic-respubliki.html
- ↑ https://www.lugansk.kp.ru/online/news/6855366/
- ↑ Леонид Пасечник стал и.о. главы ЛНР
- 1 2 3 4 5 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
- ↑ Grytsenko, Oksana (25 November 2017). "Kremlin places new head in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ↑ Биография Леонида Пасечника // Российское агентство ТАСС
- 1 2 Sauer, Pjotr (24 February 2022). "'Their golden hour': Donetsk and Luhansk leaders revel in rising profile". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- 1 2 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) - ↑ "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)
- 1 2 Ukraine conflict: Putin invites separatist leaders into his party. The Times (6 December 2021)
- ↑ "Leader of Kremlin-Backed Separatists in Ukraine Planning 'Referendum' to Join Russia". RFE/RL.
- ↑ "Leader of east Ukraine separatist region says it may hold vote on joining Russia". The Times of Israel.
- ↑ "Референдум о вхождении ЛНР в состав России пройдет с 23 по 27 сентября". РИА Новости (in Russian). 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Подписание договоров о принятии ДНР, ЛНР, Запорожской и Херсонской областей в состав России / Сайт Президента России
External links
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