Pyaterikova: Plotnitsky responsible for Cossack commander's murder
Anastasia Pyaterikova, leader of the Luhansk Guard and famous for her fiery speeches given at separatist demonstrations in eastern Ukraine, blamed Igor Plotnitsky, the leader of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR), for the death of Pavel Dremov. Killed by an apparent car bomb on the way to a celebration of his wedding, Dremov was the commander of the Sixth Separate Motorized Rifle Cossack Regiment of the People's Militia of the LPR.
As the "Fourth Authority" news outlet reported, a weeping and visibly shaken Pyaterikova proclaimed Dremov’s death a murder and stated that Plotnitsky ordered his assassination. She accused other separatist leaders, including Alexander Bednov, Alexei Mozgovoy and Yevgeny Ishchenko, of aiding Plotnitsky.
The LPR has asserted that Dremov was killed by Ukrainian government forces and called it an act of terrorism. Pyaterikova has stated that this is a lie, and stressed that she was aware of the plans to eliminate Dremov. The leader of the Luhansk Guard was able to produce internal documents as evidence which she claims contains a list of separatist leaders who are disloyal to Plotnitsky and are therefore to be “neutralized”. The document, if verified, would prove the LPR leader’s involvement in the assassination of Dremov.
“This is a real document, the internal document of the organization ... I put more trust in it than in any statement by the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Luganskinformtcentr, Lugansk 24, Lifenews and so on. I believe this to be a serial murder. In the same fashion as the deaths of Bednov, Mozgovoy, Malish, the mayor of Pervomaisk… The matter was hushed up!” said a weeping Pyaterikova.
The document, described by the leader of the Lugansk Guard in the video, was indeed published on the internet some time ago. It lists a number of names, including several prominent figures of the Communist Party in Lugansk. Pyaterikova herself is on the list.
Pyaterikova stresses that she will continue her activities in the LPR and intends to confront Plotnitsky within the legal framework of the breakaway republic.