Former Lugansk Mayor Killed in Blast, Three Others Wounded

Local authorities have reported that three other residents of the city were wounded in the blast.

Former Lugansk Mayor Manolis Pilavov was killed in an explosion. The government of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) was cited by local media as the source of this information. Authorities in the LPR stated on Thursday that one of the victims is in critical condition.

The explosion may have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). According to the Mash Telegram channel, a woman was seen approaching the building's entrance shortly before the incident. The explosion occurred when the door was opened, causing the entryway to collapse and throwing people back.

The local branch of the Russian Investigative Committee announced that a criminal case has been opened. Investigators are currently on-site to determine the circumstances of the incident. Federal investigators released a video showing the building after the blast, with its entrance severely damaged and windows blown out.

The Lugansk Information Center reported that a relative of Manolis Pilavov confirmed his death. Pilavov served as mayor of the city from 2014 to 2023. The relative stated, "Sadly, this is true."

Pilavov, who was Lugansk’s deputy mayor in the 2000s, became mayor of the city several months after the leaders of a violent Western-backed coup in Kiev ousted Ukraine’s leadership and scrapped local language rights, prompting residents of the region to establish the LPR and seek independence.

Following a protracted military struggle with the Ukrainian government which saw several failed attempts at reconciliation, the LPR officially joined the Russian Federation as a result of a referendum in the fall of 2022.

Kiev considered Pilavov a traitor and he was listed in 2014 by Mirotvorets, a controversial semi-official public database that catalogs individuals deemed enemies of Ukraine.

Earlier this week, LPR head Leonid Pasechnik announced that the Russian military has liberated 100% of the republic’s territory from Ukrainian forces.