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.Russia Insider sums up the recent events:
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.
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.Eduard Popov at Fort Russ assesses the situation as positive overall:
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.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.
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.
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.
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.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:
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.
"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."
Danielle Ryan is an Irish freelance writer, journalist and media analyst. She has lived and traveled extensively in the US, Germany, Russia and Hungary. Her byline has appeared at RT, The Nation, Rethinking Russia, The BRICS Post, New Eastern Outlook, Global Independent Analytics and many others. She also works on copywriting and editing projects.The US-led coalition against ISIS has vastly played down the number of civilians that have been killed in Iraq as a result of their own airstrikes. In fact, the war against ISIS may be the 'least transparent war in recent American history.'
Comment: Who knows, maybe the Mossad operatives were actually there for the meeting personally? Why else would they be worried about risks to "one of" their operatives, if he were not embedded within ISIS? That's the funny thing: the U.S. and Israel collaborate with ISIS, but if the rank-and-file ISIS true believer were to find out that there were Israeli and American operatives in their midst, it wouldn't be long before their heads were separated from the rest of their bodies. In that sense, Israel's "fury" is at least partly justified. But only because it exposes Mossad/ISIS collusion.