Valery Bolotov

Valery Dmitrievitch Bolotov (Russian: Вале́рий Дми́триевич Бо́лотов, IPA: [vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈdmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈbolətəf], Ukrainian: Вале́рій Дми́трович Бо́лотов; 13 February 1970 – 27 January 2017[1]) was a Ukrainian militant leader known for his involvement in the Donbass War in eastern Ukraine, and as the leader of the unrecognized Luhansk People's Republic.

This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is Dmitrievitch and the family name is Bolotov.
Valery Bolotov
Valery Bolotov in 2014.
Head of the Luhansk People's Republic[1]
In office
18 May 2014 – 14 August 2014
Prime MinisterVasily Nikitine
Marat Bashirov (acting)
DeputySergey Tsyplakov
Preceded byHimself as People's Governor
Succeeded byIgor Plotnitsky
Personal details
Born(1970-02-13)February 13, 1970
Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Russian SFSR,[2] or Stakhanov, Voroshilovgrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR,[1] USSR
Died27 January 2017(2017-01-27) (aged 46)
Moscow, Russia
NationalityUkrainian
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Soviet Union
 Luhansk People's Republic
Branch/service Airborne Troops
Years of service1988–90
2014–17
Rank Senior sergeant (see staff sergeant)

Biography

The biography of Bolotov before the 2014 is very scarce. There is a video which shows that Bolotov participated in voting at a local referendum and showed a Ukrainian passport which indicated that he was born in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast on 13 February 1970.[2] According to other sources, Bolotov was born in Stakhanov.[1] Bolotov moved to Stakhanov in the Luhansk Oblast of eastern Ukraine in 1974.[3] According to the Russia Today, he held two university degrees.[4]

Bolotov claimed to be a senior sergeant of the Soviet Airborne Troops in Vitebsk (presumably the 103rd Guards Airborne Division)[lower-alpha 1] and between 1989 and 1990 participated in a number of conflicts including Tbilisi,[lower-alpha 2] Yerevan and Karabakh.[lower-alpha 3][5] He later became the head of the airborne veterans group, while no one of the Luhansk Oblast group cell can confirm it.[5] Bolotov was married and had two children.[5]

Bolotov worked as a manager and director at a meat factory and used to run a small business.[3]

Before the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, Bolotov was a representative of Oleksandr Yefremov who supervised illegal mining in the region.[6]

In 2014, Bolotov became a leader of an armed group during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine. On May 13, 2014, Bolotov survived an assassination attempt as assailants fired automatic weapons towards his car, wounding the militant leader.[7] Bolotov was then briefly captured by the Ukrainian army on May 17 after he attempted to re-enter Luhansk following his having received treatment for his injury at a hospital in Russia.[8] However, armed supporters of the Luhansk People's Republic attacked the Ukrainian army checkpoint where Bolotov was being held shortly afterwards and successfully freed the "People's Governor".[8]

Luhansk People's Republic's Parliament elected Bolotov head of the republic on 18 May 2014.[4]

He resigned on 14 August 2014.[9]

Death

Bolotov was found dead on 27 January 2017 in his own home in Moscow, Russia. The causes of his death are currently being investigated. The preliminary results of clinical tests showed an acute heart failure as reason of death.[10][11][12][13][14] The poisoning later was suspected.[15] Though more detailed report of the local police office claimed that there was no obvious signs of the acute heart failure and only a small atherosclerotic plaques was identified instead.[16] It is known that before death he was complaining to his wife about his health deterioration which happened right after drinking a cup of coffee on the business meeting in company with two men he allegedly knew.[17] It became later known that Bolotov met with ex-speaker of the People's council of the LNR Alexey Karyakin and Valery Alexadnrovich as Valery had said and added also that the meeting was appointed by request of Bolotov himself.[18] Bolotov's corpse was later tested for the presence of the poisoning drugs in his body at the request of his wife, but as of 2018 the results are unknown.[19]

See also

Notes
  1. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (also known as the Soviet–Afghan War) and until fall of the Soviet Union, the division was under direct jurisdiction of the Soviet KGB
  2. April 9 tragedy
  3. Nagorno-Karabakh War

References
  1. Dergchov, V. There died the first leader of LPR (Умер первый глава ЛНР Валерий Болотов). RBC. 27 January 2017
  2. Video on YouTube
  3. "Top officials appointed in Luhansk people's republic". Interfax-Ukraine. May 19, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  4. "Self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic elects head, passes constitution". May 19, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  5. Кто они, "народные губернаторы": Харьков возглавил автослесарь, а Луганск – десантник [Who are those, "People's Governors"? Kharkov- a mechanic, while Lugansk – a paratrooper]. Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). April 23, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  6. "Former chief of Luhansk SBU Petrulevych: The terrorists groups of Russian GRU is already in Kiev and anticipating a signal". Gordon. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  7. "Pro-Russian Separatist Leader Survives Assassination Attempt in Ukraine". Mashable.com. May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  8. "Separatists recapture their leader on the eve of peace talks in Ukraine". Reuters. May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  9. "Ukraine fighting: Rebel official resigns; shells fall on Donetsk". CNN. August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  11. "Умер первый глава ЛНР". Lenta.ru. 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
  12. Умер первый глава ЛНР Валерий Болотов
  13. "СМИ узнали причину смерти первого главы ЛНР Валерия Болотова". Росбизнесконсалтинг. 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  14. Умер первый глава ЛНР Валерий Болотов
  15. "Bolotov's wife suspects that her husband was poisoned". ukropnews24.com. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  16. Судмедэксперты проверяют кровь Болотова на наличие ядов
  17. Жена первого главы ЛНР Болотова подозревает, что его отравили чашкой кофе
  18. http://graniru.org/Politics/World/Europe/Ukraine/m.258470.html
  19. Судмедэксперты проверяют кровь Болотова на наличие ядов
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