Arsen Pavlov

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Arsen Pavlov
Арсен Павлов
2015-05-05. Repetitsiia parada Pobedy 206 (cropped).jpg
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]

War crimes

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, and 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, or Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The war began 12 April 2014, when a fifty-man commando unit headed by Russian citizen Igor Girkin seized Sloviansk in Donetsk oblast. The Ukrainian military launched an operation against them. It continued until it was subsumed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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

The Luhansk People's Republic or Lugansk People's Republic is an internationally unrecognised 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.

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

The 2nd Battalion of Special Assignment "Donbas" is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and based in Severodonetsk. Originally created in 2014 as a volunteer unit called the Donbas Battalion by Semen Semenchenko following the Russian occupation of Crimea and possible invasion of continental Ukraine. The formation of the unit started in the spring of 2014 during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The unit was initially formed as an independent force, but has been since fully integrated into the National Guard as the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion "Donbas" within 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">Sich Battalion</span> Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary battalion

The Sich Battalion, officially known as the 4th Sich Company of the Kyiv Regiment, is a Ukrainian special police battalion consisting of volunteers from Kyiv. The unit was formed in June 2014 by volunteers from the far-right party Svoboda at the start of the war in Donbas.

<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">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 self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. He was the leader of the pro-Russian Prizrak Brigade and also served as "judge" on the "People's Court", notorious for issuing controversial death sentences.

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

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

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artem Zhoga</span> Ukrainian-born Russian military officer and politician

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

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References

  1. ↑ COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2015/238 - Official Journal of the European Union, 10 February 2015
  2. ↑ Михаил Жирохов. "ПЯТЬ ШТУРМОВ АРТЕМОВСКОЙ БАЗЫ". Liga.net (in Russian). Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Bomb Kills Pro-Russian Rebel Commander in Eastern Ukraine". The New York Times . 18 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Russian fighter's confession of killing prisoners might become evidence of war crimes (AUDIO) - Apr. 06, 2015". KyivPost. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Update: Russian Arseniy Pavlov, a.k.a. 'Motorola,' killed in Donetsk blast; Kremlin separatists blame Kyiv - Oct. 16, 2016". KyivPost. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Моторола: "Просто не было приказа на захват аэропорта Донецка"".
  7. 1 2 Tsulaia, Jambul (29 March 2015). "Real Talk With Russia's Fake Super Soldier". Georgian Journal. The Daily Beast.
  8. 1 2 3 Tsulaia, Jambul (19 March 2015). "Who is "Motorola," a Man Glorified by the Russian Media?". Georgian Journal. Georgian Journal. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Бойовика Моторолу підірвали у ліфті". 17 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Позывной "Моторола". Специальный репортаж Александра Сладкова" [Callsign "Motorola". Special Report by Alexander Sladkova] (in Russian). Россия 24. 17 October 2016 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ "To the Consulate of Russian Federation hooray, to the Polish - foo and pogrom on the Rymarska: Kharkiv separatists marched across the city". 057.ua. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Tsvetkova, Maria (26 February 2015). "Ukrainian prisoners forced to hunt for dead comrades in airport rubble". Reuters .
  13. ↑ Valmary, Simon (11 October 2014). "Rebel commander wages fight to the death for east Ukraine airport". Agence France-Presse . Yahoo News.
  14. ↑ "Arsen Pavlov". the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine portal.
  15. ↑ Jozwiak, Rikard (16 February 2015). "EU Expands Ukraine-Crisis Sanctions List". RFERL .
  16. ↑ Russian insurgent threatens Poland: 'Motorola' angered by Warsaw snub of Russian Defence Minister. Ukraine Today. 2 September 2014
  17. ↑ "'Assassination Attempt' on Separatist Leader in Ukraine's Donetsk – Reports". The Moscow Times. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Militant "hero" Motorola survives assassination attempt in Donetsk (video)". Ukraine Today. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "Day 258 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia imposed Counter-Sanctions on 74 Companies from 11 Countries including Bulgaria - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Update: Russian Arseniy Pavlov, a.k.a. 'Motorola,' killed in Donetsk blast; Kremlin separatists blame Kyiv", Kyiv Post, 16 October 2016, retrieved 17 October 2016
  21. ↑ Sukhov, Oleg (6 April 2015). "Russian fighter's confession of killing prisoners might become evidence of war crimes (AUDIO)". Kyiv Post.
  22. ↑ "Ukraine: Breaking Bodies: Torture and Summary Killings in Eastern Ukraine". Amnesty International. 22 May 2015.
  23. ↑ "A 'Separatist Wedding' in Donetsk". The Moscow Times .
  24. ↑ Tavernise, Sabrina; Sneider, Noah (13 July 2014). "For a Weekend, Ukraine Rebels Make Love, Not War". The New York Times .
  25. ↑ Vagner, Aleksandra; Bigg, Claire (16 August 2014). "Ukrainian Artist Still Missing After Lampooning Separatists". RFERL .
  26. ↑ Standish, Reid (21 October 2014). "The Banksy of Donetsk Documents His Torture". Foreign Policy.
  27. ↑ "Russian Arseniy Pavlov, a war crimes suspect known as 'Motorola,' reportedly killed". Kyiv Post. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "Donbas warlord Motorola killed in Donetsk". Euromaidan Press . 16 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  29. ↑ "Ukraine rebels accuse Kiev over death of commander 'Motorola'". BBC News . 17 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  30. ↑ Sharkov, Damien (17 October 2016). "East Ukraine Rebels Vow 'No Mercy' After Commander Death". Newsweek .
  31. 1 2 Kramer, Andrew E. (17 October 2016). "Bomb Kills Pro-Russian Rebel Commander in Eastern Ukraine". The New York Times.
  32. ↑ DPR declares three-day mourning after militia commander murder, TASS news agency (17 October 2016)
  33. ↑ "Ukrainian hacktivists: Russian trace behind Motorola's blowup". 25 October 2016.
  34. ↑ "Prominent rebel warlord Arseny 'Motorola' Pavlov dies in Donetsk blast". The Guardian. 17 October 2016.
  35. ↑ "Ukrainian separatist militant gunned down in elite Moscow restaurant". IBT. 20 September 2016.
  36. ↑ "Prominent rebel warlord Arseny 'Motorola' Pavlov dies in Donetsk blast". The Guardian. 17 October 2016.
  37. ↑ "Russian fighter 'admits killing 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war' as Amnesty International urges investigation into 'war crimes'". Independent. 10 April 2015.
  38. ↑ Losh, Jack (17 October 2016). "'Declaration of war' in Ukraine as pro-Russian rebel commander Arseniy 'Motorola' Pavlov is assassinated in Donetsk lift bombing". The Telegraph.
  39. ↑ "'Motorola': Ukraine rebels accuse Kiev over commander's death". BBC News. 17 October 2016.
  40. ↑ Entous, Adam; Schwirtz, Michael (25 February 2024). "The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  41. ↑ "Trending news: Putin posthumously awards Motorola Order of Courage - The Moscow Times". Hindustan News Hub. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.

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