What is the head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik famous for?

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Leonid Pasechnik, who led the republic before joining the Russian Federation, as acting head of the LPR. Details of his biography – in the material “Kommersant”.

Pasechnik Leonid Ivanovich was born on March 15, 1970 in Voroshilovgrad (now Luhansk) in the family of a policeman. He graduated from the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School of Engineering and Signal Corps named after General Epishev and the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

From 1993 to 2013, he worked in the SBU, including the head of the anti-smuggling unit of the main department “K” of the SBU Directorate for the Lugansk region and the Stakhanov interdistrict department. According to media reports, he became famous after the detention of a large consignment of contraband at the Izvarino checkpoint in August 2006. Its cost was estimated at about $ 2 million. According to the Peacemaker website, he basically refused a bribe.

In March 2007, he was awarded the medal “For Military Service” “for his adherence to principles.” He received the award from the hands of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko. In 2014, he retired with the rank of colonel. According to media reports, Mr. Pasechnik said that “he was left” because of his unwillingness to join any of the pressure groups within the Security Service.

In October 2014, he was appointed Minister of State Security of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR). In particular, he checked the supply of food, fuel and cargo. A year later, the head of the LPR, Igor Plotnitsky, temporarily removed Mr. Pasechnik from his post. According to media reports, the reason was the investigation against the Minister of Fuel, Energy and Coal Industry of the LPR Dmitry Lyamin (suspended along with Leonid Pasechnik). According to the version of the Ministry of State Security, Dmitry Lyamin negotiated illegal supplies of coal. Soon Mr. Pasechnik was reinstated.

In August 2016, Igor Plotnitsky’s car was blown up. As a result of the explosion, he was seriously injured. After that, the head of the LPR accused the Ministry of State Security of the republic, which Leonid Pasechnik still headed, of inaction. In November 2017, Igor Plotnitsky left the post of head of the LPR “for health reasons.” The media linked his resignation with a conflict with the security forces. Instead of himself, Mr. Plotnitsky appointed Leonid Pasechnik. Mr. Pasechnik himself announced his appointment as acting head of the LPR. The priority task in the new post, he called the fight against corruption and increase tax collection.

On November 11, 2018, Leonid Pasechnik won the election of the head of the republic. He received 68.3% of the popular vote. Since November 2021, he has been a member of the Russian political party United Russia. In Ukraine, he is wanted.

Major General of the Ministry of State Security of the LPR. According to media reports, he responded to the call sign “Magadan”. His father served in the gold mines in the Magadan region. According to Mr. Pasechnik, he once detained 60 kg of contraband gold and refused a bribe of 200,000 Soviet rubles.

Married, two sons.