Arsen Pavlov

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Arsen Pavlov
Арсен Павлов
2015-05-05. Repetitsiia parada Pobedy 206 (cropped).jpg
Pavlov in 2015
Nickname(s)Motorola
Born(1983-02-02)2 February 1983
Ukhta, Komi ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union [1]
(now Komi Republic, Russia)
Died16 October 2016(2016-10-16) (aged 33)
Donetsk, Ukraine
AllegianceFlag of Russia.svg  Russia
Flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (2014-2018).svg Donetsk People's Republic
Service / branch Morskaja pehota Rossii.gif Russian Naval Infantry (2002–2005)
Flag of Donbass People's Militia.svg Donbass People's Militia (2014)
1445528704 8r94r klga0.jpg DPR 1st Army Corps (2014–2016)
Years of service2002–2005
2014–2016
Rankcolonel
UnitFlag of the Sparta Battalion.svg Sparta Battalion
Battles / wars Second Chechen War
Awards Order of Courage (posthumously)

Arsen Sergeyevich Pavlov (Russian : Арсен Сергеевич Павлов; 2 February 1983 – 16 October 2016), known by his nom de guerre Motorola (Моторола), was a Russian militant known for murdering and torturing Ukrainian POWs, [3] [4] who led the Sparta Battalion up until his death in a blast on his apartment in Donetsk. [5]

Contents

Early life and career

A Russian citizen, [3] Pavlov was born in Ukhta, Komi ASSR. His father came from Tver Oblast, his mother was a native of the Komi ASSR. [6] He lived in Rostov-on-Don and spent some time in the Russian marines. [7] According to a newspaper report by Georgian Journal he had serious problems with Rostov's police while working there at a car wash, since he allegedly went on a drunken joyride in a car stolen from there. [8] In an interview, Pavlov states that he had abandoned a wife and 5-year-old son in Russia before going to Ukraine, where he then remarried to 21-year-old Olena Kolenkina in Slovyansk. [9]

According to Pavlov, he got his nickname "Motorola" after working with Motorola-manufactured equipment while serving for four years as a wireman in the military [8] or due to his role as the chief radioman for the commanding officer in the marine infantry. [10]

Activities in Ukraine

On 16 March 2014, he participated in "anti-Maidan" protests in Kharkiv, Ukraine that called for Russia's intervention. He was caught on camera in video footage of the events by the city's internet news publisher. [11] Calling himself 'Motorola', he became the leader of the Sparta Battalion, a pro-Russian armed group fighting in the war in Donbas against the Ukrainian government. [12] He declared the region to be "the Land of Russians". [7]

Pavlov led his battalion in both the Battle of Ilovaisk and the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport. [13] The government of Ukraine placed him on its wanted list for the creation of illegal paramilitary and military formations (Article 260, part 5). [14] In February 2015, the European Union added him to its list of sanctioned individuals. [15]

On 2 October 2014, Pavlov threatened to go to Poland after the plane of Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu was not allowed to fly over Polish airspace on 29 August 2014. [16]

On 24 June 2016, an assassination attempt was made on him in Donetsk after he left a traumatological center when a car bomb exploded. [17] A few cars were damaged in the area, but no casualties or wounds were reported. [18]

An undated video was circulating where Pavlov chaotically fires a grenade launcher on residential buildings in Donetsk, joking he needs to "wake them up". [19]

Killing of PoWs

I don’t give a fuck about what I am accused of, believe it or not. I shot 15 prisoners dead. I don’t give a fuck. No comment. I kill if I want to. I don’t if I don’t.

Arsen Pavlov in an interview with Kyiv Post on 3 April 2015. [20]

In April 2015, the Kyiv Post released a recording in which Pavlov discussed killing fifteen Ukrainian prisoners of war. [21] Pavlov and his battalion have also been accused of torturing captured Ukrainian soldiers. After Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky was captured near Donetsk and was in custody of Pavlov's group, Pavlov deliberately killed the prisoner at point blank by two headshots on 21 January 2015. [22]

Personal life

He publicly married Olena Kolenkina on 11 July 2014, in a wedding amid the war. The wedding was attended by Igor Girkin and Pavel Gubarev. [23] In a June 2014 interview to Russian newspaper Zavtra , Pavlov stated that he was already married and had a five-year-old son. [24] He and his bride were featured in a caricature by Donetsk artist Serhiy Zakharov, [25] who was subsequently held prisoner and tortured for several months by pro-Russian separatists. [26] He rented an apartment in Donetsk for ₴2,500 per month and owned a Lada Niva given as a gift by Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky. [8]

Death

Arsen Pavlov was killed on 16 October 2016 by an IED explosion in his apartment's elevator [27] in Donetsk. Pavlov's bodyguard was also killed in the blast. [28] Donetsk People's Republic officials accused a previously unknown "Misanthropic Division", an alleged Ukrainian Neo-Nazi group that was possibly fabricated by Russian FSB agents, of the killing. [29] A 17 October 2016 analysis by IHS Jane's 360 noted "We have not seen any capabilities of Ukrainian guerrilla fighters embedded in Donetsk". [30] Ukrainian officials denied the allegations, stating that Arsen Pavlov was "lucky" to be killed so he would not have to face justice for his crimes, further suggesting the rebel leader was likely assassinated by Russia's special forces as part of a wider purge against the early leaders of the rebel movement, pointing to the fact that about half dozen rebel commanders have been assassinated. [31] DPR authorities declared a three-day mourning commemorating "DPR hero, Colonel Arseny Pavlov". [32]

Following his death, the Ukrainian hacking group Cyber Junta disclosed information from Pavlov's phone, including personal photos and videos, legal documents, and correspondence. In the weeks leading up to his assassination, Pavlov expressed worry over a conflict with Russian officers, and believed he had become expendable. On 15 October, Pavlov instructed his wife to not trust Russian FSB agents. [33] Shaun Walker, the Moscow correspondent of The Guardian reported that Pavlov was extremely paranoid about his security, and that it is likely that such an attack would require aid from someone within his inner circle. [34]

Aftermath

The assassination of Arsen Pavlov was part of a range of high-profile deaths within the ranks of Ukraine's separatists, starting with the assassination of Alexander Bednov, the leader of the Batman Battalion and Aleksey Mozgovoy, the leader of the Prizrak Brigade in May 2015. The death of Arsen Pavlov came within a month of the death of Yevgeny Zhilin, the founder of Oplot Battalion, which would later form into the Oplot Brigade. [35] [36]

Ukrainian officials have stated that Arsen Pavlov was assassinated by Russia's special forces as part of a drive to purge early separatist leaders that took part in the original insurgency of 2014, who may be charismatic but are often unpredictable. Moreover, most of the separatist leaders assassinated headed their own units, which would often engage in infighting over territory or control of the black market, suspecting that the assassinations are part of a drive to form a more uniform chain of command. Another theory behind the assassination has been that there is a drive to get rid of the first generation of rebels who were implicated in war crimes, therefore giving the separatist forces a more acceptable public face. Indeed, Amnesty International has called for an investigation into Arsen Pavlov executing 15 unarmed Ukrainian prisoners. Moreover, Arsen Pavlov's alleged war crimes have been one of the sticking points of the implementations of the Minsk II agreement, with Ukrainian authorities stating that he would not be granted amnesty. [37] [38] Furthermore, Arsen Pavlov was not a Ukrainian citizen, being born and raised in Russia, and serving in the Russian military during the Chechen conflict. Thus, his involvement as the leader of a Ukrainian separatist movement was pointed to as an example of Russian interference in the conflict. [39] Ukrainian member of Parliament, Maksym Burbak claimed that the assassination may have been a ploy to replace Russian born separatist leaders with Ukrainian born ones, making the war in Donbas look more like an internal affair. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko suggested the assassination could be used as cover for Russian separatists to carry out terrorist attacks within Ukraine. [31]

A 2024 New York Times article revealed that Pavlov was assassinated by members of the Security Service of Ukraine's secretive Fifth Directorate, which awarded commemorative patches to those involved in the operation. [40]

Awards

See also

Related Research Articles

The following lists events that happened in the year 2014 in Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian separatist forces in Ukraine</span> Pro-Russian paramilitary groups in eastern Ukraine

Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, primarily the People's Militias of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), were pro-Russian paramilitaries in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. They were under the overall control of the Russian Federation. They were also referred to as Russian proxy forces. They were active during the war in Donbas (2014–2022), the first stage of the Russo-Ukrainian War. They then supported the Russian Armed Forces against the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion. In September 2022, Russia annexed the DPR and LPR, and began integrating the paramilitaries into its armed forces. They are designated as terrorist groups by the government of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Donbas</span> 2014–2022 war between Ukraine and Russia

The war in Donbas, also known as the Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The war began in April 2014, when a commando unit headed by Russian citizen Igor Girkin seized Sloviansk in Donetsk oblast. The Ukrainian military launched an operation against them. The war continued until subsumed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhansk People's Republic</span> Disputed Russian republic in eastern Ukraine

The Luhansk People's Republic is a republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitaries in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022. The entire territory of LPR is viewed as sovereign territory of Ukraine by nearly all UN member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donbas Battalion</span> Unit of the National Guard of Ukraine

The Donbas Battalion is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and formerly based in Severodonetsk. It was created in 2014 as a volunteer unit by Semen Semenchenko after the Russian occupation of Crimea and an anticipated invasion of continental Ukraine. The unit was formed in the spring during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The unit was initially formed as an independent force, but has been fully integrated into the National Guard as the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion "Donbas" in the 15th Regiment of the National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Zakharchenko</span> Ukrainian separatist leader (1976–2018)

Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko was a Ukrainian separatist leader who was the head of state and Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, a self-proclaimed state and Russian-backed rebel group which declared independence from Ukraine on 11 May 2014. Zakharchenko was appointed prime minister in August 2014 after his predecessor Alexander Borodai resigned, and went on to win the early November 2014 election for the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ilovaisk</span> 2014 battle in the Donbas war

The Battle of Ilovaisk started on 7 August 2014, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine and pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries began a series of attempts to capture the city of Ilovaisk from pro-Russian insurgents affiliated with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and detachments of the Russian Armed Forces. Although Ukrainian forces were able to enter the city on 18 August, they were encircled between 24 and 26 August by overwhelming Russian military forces that crossed the border, joining the battle. After days of encirclement, Ukrainian forces rejected the DPR's proposal to open a humanitarian corridor on the condition that they abandon their armored vehicles and ammunition, and on the morning of 29 August 2014 began to leave Ilovaisk with their weapons. The Russian side opened fire on the evacuating Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom died whilst trying to escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas</span>

During the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War between the Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of Ukraine that began in April 2014, many international organisations and states noted a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the conflict zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Donetsk Airport</span> 2014–2015 battle during the Donbas war

The Second Battle of Donetsk Airport was an engagement between the Ukrainian military and Russian military and its proxy forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) during the War in Donbas. An earlier battle in May 2014 had left Donetsk International Airport in Ukrainian control. Despite a ceasefire agreement, the Minsk Protocol, in place since 5 September 2014, fighting broke out between the warring parties on 28 September 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikhail Tolstykh</span> Ukrainian separatist military commander

Mikhail Sergeyevich Tolstykh, better known by his nom de guerreGivi (Гиви), was a Ukrainian separatist officer wanted for war crimes. He was mainly known as the commander of the collaborationist Donetsk People's Republic's Somalia Battalion during the war in Donbas from 2014, until his assassination in early 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleksey Mozgovoy</span> Pro-Russian rebel and warlord in Eastern Ukraine

Aleksey Borisovich Mozgovoy was a commander of the Russian-installed separatist Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. He was the leader of the pro-Russian Prizrak Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Debaltseve</span> 2015 battle in the Donbas war

The Battle of Debaltseve was a military confrontation in the city of Debaltseve, Donetsk Oblast, between the pro-Russian separatist forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), and the Ukrainian Armed Forces, starting in mid-January 2015 during the war in the Donbas region. The Russian forces composed mostly of "Wagner Group" soldiers recaptured Debaltseve, which had been under Ukrainian control since a counter-offensive by government forces in July 2014. The city lay in a "wedge" of Ukrainian-held territory bordered by the DPR on one side, and the LPR on the other, and is a vital road and railway junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Basurin</span> Ukrainian politician (born 1966)

Eduard Aleksandrovich Basurin is the Deputy Defense Minister and Defense Spokesman of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militia command, which the Ukrainian government has designed a terrorist organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparta Battalion</span> Russian separatist paramilitary battalion in Donbas

The Sparta Battalion or 80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov is a special purpose unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, unit was part of Russian people's militia military unit of the Russian republic of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. The unit has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas war and the 2022 Russian invasion. Formed in 2014, it was initially led by the Russian-born Arsen Pavlov until his death in October 2016, and then by Vladimir Zhoga, from Sloviansk, until his death in March 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyrokyne standoff</span> 2015 battle in the Donbas war in Ukraine

The Shyrokyne standoff was a battle for the control of the strategic village of Shyrokyne, located approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) east of Mariupol city limits, between Ukrainian forces led by the Azov Regiment, and Russian-backed separatists, between February and July 2015. It was part of the larger war in Donbas. On 10 February 2015, the Azov Regiment launched a surprise offensive against pro-Russian separatists associated with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) with the aim of pushing the separatist forces away from Mariupol city limits. The village is located just 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol, and was used as a launching point for separatist attacks on the city, which served as the administrative centre of Donetsk Oblast whilst DPR forces control Donetsk city. Fighting continued until 3 July 2015, when DPR forces unilaterally withdrew from Shyrokyne. Subsequently a cease-fire was declared in the area.

Sergei Nikolayevich Zhurikov was a commander of the Donbas People's Militia in the secessionist Donetsk People's Republic during the war in Donbas. He was killed in the siege of Sloviansk fighting against Ukrainian government forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Bednov</span> Assassinated rebel commander of the LPR

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bednov was a former Soviet and Ukrainian militsiya officer and rebel commander of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. He was the leader of the pro-Russian Batman Rapid Response Group. He was assassinated in Luhansk, with a debate among his supporters on who was responsible although on the day of his killing LPR "prosecutor's office" issued an official statement confirming "liquidation" of Bednov as "a head of a criminal organization".

The combatants of the war in Donbas included foreign and domestic forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladimir Zhoga</span> Ukrainian separatist military officer (1993–2022)

Vladimir Artyomovich Zhoga, also known by his nom de guerreVokha, was a separatist who commanded the Sparta Battalion, a pro-Russian separatist force that is involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misanthropic Division</span> International Ukraine-based neo-Nazi group

The Misanthropic Division, also known as Division Phoenix since 2016, is an international neo-Nazi group based in Ukraine which has been described as a paramilitary organization, or as a movement. They originated in 2014 to take part in the Euromaidan protests against the government of Viktor Yanukovych, with some members later fighting alongside the Azov Battalion and UAF in the Donbas region against Russian-backed separatists. Chapters of the group have also been reported to exist in other countries. According to researcher Natalia Yudina, it is not a centralized organization, and it has neither a rigid structure nor permanent leaders.

References

  1. COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2015/238 - Official Journal of the European Union, 10 February 2015
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