Valery Bolotov

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Valery Bolotov
Valeri Bolotov.png
Valery Bolotov in 2014.
Head of the Luhansk People's Republic[1]
In office
18 May 2014 – 14 August 2014
Prime MinisterVasily Nikitin
Marat Bashirov (acting)
DeputySergey Tsyplakov
Preceded byHimself as People's Governor
Succeeded byIgor Plotnitsky
Personal details
Born(1970-02-13)13 February 1970
Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Russian SFSR, 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/serviceUSSR Airborne troops emblem1 1991.jpg Airborne Troops
Years of service1988–90
2014–17
RankRank insignia of старший сержант of the Soviet Air Force.svg Senior sergeant (see staff sergeant)

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

Biography[edit]

Little is known about Bolotov's life prior to 2014; in a video of him voting in a local referendum, he presents a Ukrainian passport which indicates that he was born in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast on 13 February 1970. In 1974, he moved to Stakhanov, in the Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine.[2]

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

Bolotov worked as a manager and director at a meat factory and used to run a small business.[2]

Before the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, Bolotov was a representative of Oleksandr Yefremov who supervised illegal mining in the region.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6] 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".[6] He resigned from the position on 14 August 2014.[7]

Death[edit]

Bolotov was found dead on 27 January 2017 in his own home in Moscow, Russia.[1] The causes of his death are currently being investigated.[needs update] The preliminary results of clinical tests showed an acute heart failure as reason of death.[8][9][10] His wife later claimed that he may have been poisoned.[11] Though more detailed report of the local police office claimed that there were no obvious signs of the acute heart failure and only small atherosclerotic plaques were identified instead.[12] 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 at the business meeting in company with two men he allegedly knew.[13] 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.[14] 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.[12]

Bolotov was married and had two children.[3]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Dergchov, V. There died the first leader of LPR (Умер первый глава ЛНР Валерий Болотов). RBC. 27 January 2017
  2. ^ a b "Top officials appointed in Luhansk people's republic". Interfax-Ukraine. May 19, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c 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.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "Pro-Russian Separatist Leader Survives Assassination Attempt in Ukraine". Mashable.com. May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Separatists recapture their leader on the eve of peace talks in Ukraine". Reuters. May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  7. ^ "Ukraine fighting: Rebel official resigns; shells fall on Donetsk". CNN. August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  8. ^ "Тело бывшего главы ЛНР Валерия Болотова обнаружила его супруга".
  9. ^ Умер первый глава ЛНР Валерий Болотов
  10. ^ "СМИ узнали причину смерти первого главы ЛНР Валерия Болотова". Росбизнесконсалтинг. 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  11. ^ "Bolotov's wife suspects that her husband was poisoned". ukropnews24.com. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  12. ^ a b Судмедэксперты проверяют кровь Болотова на наличие ядов
  13. ^ Жена первого главы ЛНР Болотова подозревает, что его отравили чашкой кофе
  14. ^ "Грани.Ру: Вдова Болотова: Мужа отравили чашкой кофе".