Leonid Pasechnik

Leonid Pasechnik for many years was a member of the security service of Ukraine in Luhansk. He was responsible for dealing with the contraband. In 2007 he was awarded the Medal for the Military Service in Ukraine by President Viktor Yushchenko. When in 2014 the Russian spring broke out in Donbass, Pasechnik supported the separatists and on November 9th, 2014 he was appointed the Minister of State Security in Luhansk People’s Republic. In 2015, a conflict broke out between Pasechnik and the leader of the "republic" Igor Plotnitsky. The head of the secret police arrested a Plotnitsky’s man, Dmitrij Ljamina, the Minister of Energy in the self-proclaimed republic. The reason for the arrest was the suspected smuggling of coal from Luhansk People’s Republic to Ukraine. After some time, the conflict was appeased and Pasechnik remained in his post. It was said that he owed this to the Russian “protectors” of the republic. On November 21th, 2017, Luhansk People’s Republic witnessed a coup which caused Plotnitsky to flee to Russia. He was subsequently replaced by Pasechnik.

The exchange formula – 73 for 233

A long-awaited exchange between Ukraine and the self-appointed Donbass republics happened before the new year. It included people detained by the separatists and the supporters of the “republics” serving prison sentences in Ukraine. It’s a real gift for many Ukrainian families. Some have been waiting for the return of their loved ones since 2014.