Lugansk top field commander dies
2015-01-01
Posted by: badanov
Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin and a news website associated with Russian reserve FSB Colonel Igor Girkin is reporting one of Lugansk's top field commanders, Aleksandr Bednov was killed along with six other others in an arrest attempt, presumably by a group associated with Lugansk president Igor Plotnitsky. Apparently, among the dead were Bednov's wife and members of Bednov's security detail.
So far, no one has confirmed any element to this story. I have read reports from Russian language media that residents in Georgievka, a suburb south of Lugansk city, reported gunfire and explosions in an area known NOT to have Ukrainian troops.
According to a news account in the pro Ukrainian news site tsensor.net. Bednov was traveling in a two vehicle convoy which included one step van and a sedan through the village early on January 1st, when they were attacked in a prepared ambush at close range, by men using small arms and a fuel-air explosive RPG fire.
Other reports suggest Bednov's convoy was ambushed, but that Bednov survived the encounter, but was surrounded by local militia loyal to Plotnitsky.
Also presumed to be killed in the ambush were four members of his security detail, one of them an Azerbaijani identified with the call sign "Ramil", and the others identified with the call signs Razor, Gold, and Knight.
Bednov has held previous field commands, but at the time of this incident was chief of staff of the Lugansk 4th Rifle Brigade. His rise to prominence began only two months ago when he started giving interviews to pro rebel media.
Plotnitsky declared only three days ago that it was his intention for Lugansk to become part of Russia, that independence or federation with Ukraine were not on for discussion.
Watching a youtube.com video of an interview by an unidentified female Georgian female, the popular commander of the "Somaliya" battalion, identified as "Givi" said that unity of command of forces in both Donetsk and Lugansk were in discussion, which is a clear indication that neither republic would be seeking independence, but merging with the Russian federation. Not only that, "Givi" said that the merging of "at least" nine Ukrainian oblasts" into Russia was a definitive goal.
Only a week ago, this writer read an opinion which appeared in Jamestown.org, by a writer who said that Russian president Vladimir Putin had abandoned his "Novorossiya" project, but now it appears the project, if it were abandoned, was back and in operation.
"Novorossiya" is the name of a region east of the Dnepr River.
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