RTWed, 22 Nov 2017 15:35 UTC
Interior Minister Kornet's men on the street, Wednesday.
Leaders of the rebellious Lugansk region in Ukraine's east turned on each other Tuesday, as gunmen blocked central streets of the provincial capital. The Kremlin said it was closely monitoring the developments.
Armed people in military fatigues first appeared on the streets of Lugansk, the capital of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LNR), Tuesday. According to some accounts, gunmen blocked several administrative buildings. Other media reports said they blocked streets in the center of the city.
The leader of the self-proclaimed republic, Igor Plotnitsky, then issued a statement, in which he said
the "people on the streets" were members of "some interior ministry structures" who apparently support the former interior minister Igor Kornet who was sacked Monday.
Plotnitsky condemned attempts by the "interior ministry structures" to "challenge" the decision of the LNR government to remove Kornet from office. He said the situation in the republic remains under control of the government and that things will soon return to normal.
On Wednesday,
Plotnitsky said Konet tried to orchestrate a coup d'etat. During a meeting with the new interior minister, he said forces controlled by the former interior minister cut off mobile communications and TV broadcasts in the city. Residents of Lugansk had complained about mobile phone coverage and TV broadcast outages Tuesday.
Kornet was fired Monday. However, the next day he issued a statement, in which he
claimed that several senior officials of the LNR had been exposed as members of a spy ring linked to Kiev. Kornet also dismissed reports about his removal from office, and said the situation in the self-proclaimed republic is under the control of law enforcement.
The sacked interior minister then claimed that spy ringleaders have been trying to smear his name, and that the order of dismissal published the previous day was based on fraudulent accusations against him.
Plotnitsky's chief-of-staff, the chief of security as well as the head of the TV local station, are among the people accused of having close ties to Kiev.Plotnitsky then rebuked Kornet, stating that he had been lawfully sacked and rejected his pro-Ukrainian plot claim. "I can assure you that Mr. Korent's statement has no basis as well as no legal force," he said.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that it was closely monitoring the situation without elaborating further."It would be wrong to give any superficial assessments [right now]," Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman told journalists. "As we get detailed information on the matter, I will share it with you," he added.
The situation in Lugansk is seemingly the result of an escalation of a long-standing dispute between Plotnitsky and Kornet. The two men have reportedly been in conflict for some time.
The Lugansk People's Republic - established in the region with a predominantly ethnic Russian population - fought for independence from Ukraine after the armed coup in 2014 deposed its elected central government and empowered many anti-Russian figures. The self-proclaimed republic remains unrecognized by any member of the UN, however. Russia has been providing humanitarian aid to the region which is under a blockade by the government of Ukraine.
Comment: Yesterday, Donetsk Ministry of State Security officials say they launched a joint operation with their Lugansk counterparts and detained 10+ Ukraine
saboteurs. On the same day, the head of Lugansk, Igor Plotnitsky, flew from Lugansk and arrived in
Moscow, alone.
Interior Minister Kornet, the official "fired" on Monday, is now
in control of the region. Plotnitsky is reportedly "feverishly negotiating about his future" while in Moscow.
His political destiny has not been finally resolved. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the MGB insists on the complete elimination of Plotnitsky, Moscow is inclined to leave him the nominal head of the republic until the next elections, with the actual absence of real power.
If this option is confirmed tomorrow, Plotnitsky will make a statement explaining what is happening about the work of Ukrainian agents in the higher echelons of power (ie, apparently confirm what Kornet said today).
Otherwise, Plotnitsky will probably not return to the Lugansk Peoples Republic.
Moscow unequivocally sided with Kornet, and the DPR also supported him, sending significant help to Lugansk to prevent the revenge of Plotnitsky.
Kornet received permission from the Russian Federation to clean up Plotnitsky's people in all government bodies in the Lugansk People's Republic.
Russia Insider
sums up the recent events:
Igor Plotnitsky, the President of the People's Republic of Lugansk, one of the two pro-Russian rebel republics in East Ukraine, has been overthrown by his Interior Minister, Igor Kornet. The struggle began when Plotnitsky moved to remove the Interior Minister.
Rather than comply, Kornet struck back and started arresting people around Plotnitsky, while his loyalists demanded Plotnitsky face a "people's court" for having a hand in a number of murders of prominent rebel commanders in Lugansk. After a brief standoff Plotnitsky has already fled to Moscow and calm has returned to the city:
The attempt by Luhansk People's Republic President Igor Plotnitsky to fire his interior minister for corruption has proven a disastrous failure, with Plotnitsky forced to flee to Moscow Thursday, and apparently out of power.
Wednesday saw a lot of chaos in Luhansk with armed factions in the streets. Claims of a "training exercise" were quickly dismissed by pro-Plotnitsky officials, who claimed it was an ongoing coup by loyalists of the interior minister, Igor Kornet.
Kornet's followers seem to be calling the shots now, with reports his men have arrested the local prosecutor, a Plotnitsky ally, and continue to have the local television station surrounded.
The whole situation appears to have been based on claims Kornet was abusing his post, including seizing a bigger home to live in. The region is one of the secessionist factions split from Ukraine during the ongoing civil war, and while there was some concern this might threaten the ongoing ceasefire, so far it seems like it is a semi-orderly power change for the region.
Plotnitsky was a shady character who commanded very little respect among Donbass veterans and fighters. He also had none of the charisma of the folksy, sincere and outspoken Aleksandr Zakharchenko of the Donetsk People's Republic. Moreover, this is far from the first time Plotnitsky has been accused of having been behind the assassinations of many prominent rebel commanders in Lugansk who could have threatened his position.
However, for some reason, Plotnitsky was able to rally the support of national security bureaucracies from Moscow behind him which is how he got into power in 2014 in the first place. This time, however, Moscow did not lift a finger to save him and he was forced to flee.
His departure is welcome news, but we have yet to see what kind of a man Kornet - or whoever replaces Plotnitsky - is. Hopefully, it'll be someone a lot more like Zakharchenko and not at all like Plotnitsky.
Eduard Popov at Fort Russ assesses the situation as
positive overall:
If this information is confirmed (and it most likely will be), then a group of whom I would call patriotic security officials has won the power struggle in Lugansk with the help of the DPR. My colleagues in the LPR, Russia, and myself perceive the news of the last few days positively. A powerful and pervasive group of Ukrainian agents of influence in the higher, and possibly also mid-rung power structures of the republic, has been liquidated, and these people were more or less huddled around LPR head Plotnitsky. The very presence of this group makes the republic a weak link in the defense of Donbass from Nazi Ukraine.
I think that Igor Kornet is right in his assessment of the danger of a pro-Ukrainian coup. The LPR very well could have been taken from within thanks to betrayal, corruption, and an extensive network of enemy agents in the highest organs of power in the republic, including the Prosecutor's Office.
The second reason for cautious optimism is that the republic now finally has the opportunity to begin restoring its industrial potential. Compared to the active development of industrial construction and reconstruction in the neighboring DPR, the stalled factories in the LPR give an onerous impression. The new change in leadership will present an opportunity to rebuild the LPR economy now free of the considerable setbacks posed by corruption and networks of agents. I propose to return to this topic in the future.
At the present moment, I see three likely scenarios: (1) some kind of compromise between Kornet and Plotnitsky, but with the transfer of power over key bodies to the patriotic security bloc; (2) early elections; (3) the establishment of a federation or confederation of the DPR and LPR involving Donetsk forces to resolve Lugansk's problems.
The first scenario is justifiable due to the fact that Plotnitsky was elected by the popular vote. Although he has lost much of the people's trust, he remains the legitimate head of the LPR and, in the very least, no evidence has been presented that he was personally part of the pro-Ukrainian conspiracy. Plus, of course, his role is very important insofar as he was the one that signed the Minsk Agreements on behalf of the Lugansk People's Republic. Unfortunately, this most positive compromise scenario is becoming less feasible due to the political confrontation which Plotnitsky has hedged his bets on. Nevertheless, there is still a small chance for an alliance to be formed between Kornet and Plotnitsky for the sake of peace and security in the republic.
The second scenario is in line with the LPR Constitution, according to which special elections should be held within three months of the resignation of the head of the republic. For now, the functions of acting head of state belong to the Prime Minister. This scenario is also optimal, but it could be used by Ukraine to discredit the people's republics of Donbass, as Kiev is already taking advantage of the uncertainty in Lugansk in the information war against Donbass.
Finally, the third scenario, or the creation of a federation or confederation of the DPR and LPR under the de facto leadership of economically and demographically more powerful Donetsk, cannot be ruled out. Voices proposing that the republics unite have already been heard, including from within the LPR itself. Although the DPR leadership can also be subject to serious criticism, it is incomparably better than that of the LPR. Plus, DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko boasts popularity and authority in both republics and in both military and civilian circles.
All of this intrigue comes just a week or so after Putin officially spoke to the DPR and LPR leaders for the first time (
on Nov. 15) about a prisoner-swap deal with Kiev. This was followed by numerous
"dirty tricks" and attacks on the part of Kiev's occupation forces on the Donbass regions, then all of the above. See also:
Update: Plotnitsky has apparently
resigned, with Ministry of State Security head Leonid Pasechnik assuming his duties:
"Numerous military injuries, and the consequences of a concussion were cited [as the reasons for resignation]. In accordance with his decision, I will assume the duties of the head of the Republic until the forthcoming elections.
"I am grateful to Igor Venediktovich for his decision and his trust. Igor Venediktovich made a great contribution to the process of peaceful settlement. He is one of the signatories of the Minsk agreements, today he is appointed as an authorized representative of the Lugansk People's Republic for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
"I also declare my commitment to the Minsk Agreements. The Republic will consistently implement the commitments undertaken in accordance with these agreements. The Council of Ministers, the People's Council of the Lugansk People's Republic and other authorities continue to work in the regular mode.
For my part, I want to assure the inhabitants of the LPR that I will do everything that is in my power for the benefit of the inhabitants of Lugansk."
Comment: Yesterday, Donetsk Ministry of State Security officials say they launched a joint operation with their Lugansk counterparts and detained 10+ Ukraine saboteurs. On the same day, the head of Lugansk, Igor Plotnitsky, flew from Lugansk and arrived in Moscow, alone.
Interior Minister Kornet, the official "fired" on Monday, is now in control of the region. Plotnitsky is reportedly "feverishly negotiating about his future" while in Moscow. Russia Insider sums up the recent events: Eduard Popov at Fort Russ assesses the situation as positive overall: All of this intrigue comes just a week or so after Putin officially spoke to the DPR and LPR leaders for the first time (on Nov. 15) about a prisoner-swap deal with Kiev. This was followed by numerous "dirty tricks" and attacks on the part of Kiev's occupation forces on the Donbass regions, then all of the above. See also: