The Russian field commander, known by the Callsign “Motorola”, was a veteran of the campaign, which ruthlessly pursued Moscow during the second Chechen war, and later became a prominent figure in the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, leading a battalion of Pro-Russian separatists. He soon became one of the most famous in the region field commanders, skilled and successful fighter, who took part in major offensive operations in the Donetsk airport and in Ilovaisk. In addition, he was stern and, as we know, boasted of having killed prisoners of Ukrainian soldiers.
Sunday, October 16, Pavlova caught retribution for his atrocities.
The 33-year-old mercenary was killed in Donetsk in the bomb with remote control, laid down on their Elevator. On Pavlov and his security guard had body armor full protection, but the only thing they left behind was the bloodied remains of weapons and ammunition.
Pavlov was the last of the most famous commanders of the separatists, who died under mysterious circumstances since the beginning of the conflict in the region. Now, when the war in Eastern Ukraine drags on, the death toll is nearly 10 thousand people, and the real end of the conflict in the foreseeable future is not visible. The leaders of the territories, known as the Donetsk people’s Republic (DNR) and Luhansk national Republic (LNR), did not die on the battlefield, where the circle was in danger, and, seemingly, in a peaceful relaxed atmosphere.
Last month allegedly “committed suicide”, former Prime Minister LNR Gennady Tsyplakov, who had been imprisoned after separatist authorities detained dozens of regime figures, considering that those pose a domestic threat, and accused them of plotting a coup. LPR officials said that he hanged himself in his cell, tormented by remorse for the “gravity of his crime”.
But only a few days earlier in a Moscow restaurant, was shot dead a field commander of the separatists Evgeny Zhilin. In December last year, a few hours after his wedding, was killed in the explosion of a car bomb, the commander of the Cossack battalion Pavel Dremov. Earlier this year, was killed by the founder of the brigade “Ghost”, the Pro-Russian armed groups of LNR Alexey Brain, whose car fell into a roadside ambush, struck a mine and was fired from machine guns on the territory, which he considered his private fiefdom. The first of January 2015 the attack on the convoy was killed the commander of the armed formation Alexander Bednov, known under the Callsign “Batman”. And this is only the most prominent figures — analysts said such cases were at least a dozen.
In this strange situation that has arisen in the centre of the Ukrainian insurgent movement, in which Pro-Russian regimes of the DPR and LPR have fallen on hard times because of confusion, fights and secrets upon secrets, you can find traces of these murders is difficult. But among experts, having the necessary connections, and knowledgeable people from among the separatists are two main versions.
Some say that the killings are likely the result of internal strife among the leadership of the separatists in the East of Ukraine. As they seek to consolidate their power and benefit from the lucrative black market in the region, they find out each other relationship.
Others say that a series of these murders can be, is Russia. Analysts believe that with all the efforts to create governments in the region and sending weapons and money to protect them, the Kremlin is now interested in how to get out of the quagmire in the East of Ukraine and to get rid of the harsh sanctions regime. He expects to achieve this by giving the self-proclaimed republics “a decent look” in the eyes of the local and international community — for which we need to eliminate those who declare themselves allies, but obey orders.
It is possible that Pavlov was a unmanageable subordinates. A former worker from the Russian Republic of Komi, he, according to the stories, he received the Callsign “Motorola”, when he served in Chechnya as a communications officer in the Russian army battalion. In March 2014, he went to the troubled industrial region in the East of Ukraine to join the growing power of the movement of rebel separatists, and became the commander of the battalion “Sparta”, which is based in Donetsk, and known for his cruelty. Pavlov, with his red beard, wild smile, the love of Russian rap and race in Donetsk ATV — become a media star of the war, which some loved and others hated. He even arranged the telecast of the ceremony of his own wedding, which was attended by such famous figures of the separatist movement, Igor Strelkov is the field commander who led the capture of the city of Slavyansk and became a hero to Pro-Russian separatists of Donbass, a rebel region in the East of Ukraine.
But some believed that the glory of the Pavlova may be an attempt to divert attention from the close political, military and economic ties established by the Kremlin between the Moscow and Ukrainian separatists, and saw him as a war criminal, and an actor in small roles. “He was just a media fighter, says political philosopher of the Ukrainian national University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” Mikhail Minakov. — Major players remain in the shadows.”
Nevertheless, the dramatic nature of Pavlov’s murder was a shock. Observers considered him to be unmanageable and uncomfortable, but still loyal to his superiors in the Ukraine and Russia. His murder was his first successful strike, which killed a senior official of the Donetsk, which suggests that there may begin to strengthen their positions of power, which eliminate the separatist leaders. Such killings still occurred only in the neighboring LC. And the question about who is behind this murder, gives rise to many guesses.
In social networks quickly spread the video, filmed in order to show that the responsibility for this murder take members of some Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups. Four masked men threatened to kill the other separatist leaders and finished the clip of Nazi salute. Some separatists got ahold of this suspicious video as proof of Ukraine’s involvement in the death of Pavlova; others have questioned its authenticity, waving from him as from the next stuffing in the framework of a protracted information war.
Who could want the death of Motorola? Many believe that it was one of his own. The struggle for control over trade routes and the smuggling of energy resources (namely Ukrainian coal and Russian oil) in the separatist republics — business as usual. They say that Pavlov was connected with the scrap metal trading business, which last week’s edition of the Moscow Times called “one of the few industries developing in the destroyed Donetsk airport and its surroundings”. Perhaps removing the uncontrollable “wild” competition, ruling in the East of Ukraine, the coalition of warlords and crime syndicates, wants to tighten control over these illegal and highly lucrative markets.
“These murders often featured bandits, not written in the showdown between the warring factions, fighting for power, money, and smuggling routes, the control of which is crucial, if you’re new to the field commander who wants to Fund armed formation”, — said the chief analyst at consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft Daragh McDowell (Daragh McDowell), specializing in Europe and Central Asia.
But in conversations without witnesses, some separatists recognize that danger can come even from Moscow itself. The murder was committed Pavlova qualified quickly and demanded immediate access to the victim — evidence of professional skills and special training and suggests the involvement of Russia. Agreeing to speak on condition of anonymity because of security reasons, one well-placed source with ties to key figures in the Russia-controlled separatist government, said:
“Some… say that the curators at the top conducted a sweep in the rebel ranks of the first generation, to destroy any incriminating evidence and kill all the witnesses of war crimes. The Kremlin need to be in the public eye his proteges were more acceptable appearance.”
The authorities DND and LNR was hastily formed more than two years ago, at the height of separatist uprisings and mass appearances of discontent, which, in the opinion of many, were organized by Moscow in response to the overthrow of the discredited Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The chief at that time was to create some management structure (no matter how primitive it might be) to support the statements of the separatist regions that they are “people’s republics” and not disgraced territories-outcasts who have created and arming Russia.
The situation there was extremely stiff, and the person who came to power in these sensitive areas, typically achieved their positions thanks to the political experience, and because they were the best and the ideological soldiers on the battlefields. One of these figures was Alexander Zakharchenko, who currently heads the DNR and which was known in April 2014, being the commander of the battalion, formed from members of “fight club”, and later participated in the capture of administrative buildings in Donetsk. Similarly, Igor Plotnitsky, the current is similar to the bandit leader of the LPR, was before the war, modest official of regional level; subsequently, he created an armed formation and a month later he was appointed Minister of defense of the LC, and then her supervisor.
These first nascent institutions of government performs its function, when in the first days of the crisis, the main objective was military victory and the seizure of territories. But now that the war lasted for three years and have stalled, the Russian enthusiasm for this project waned; and few of the authorities speaks of the creation of “new Russia” — a key task underlying the ideology of the local separatists. At the same time, it seems that the way to minimize conflict is not so much Ukraine will not give up territory, which it considers its; and Vladimir Putin risks losing face in the eyes of the inhabitants of the country, the Russian ruling elite, as well as on the world stage — if Russia decides immediately to get out of this quagmire. Organized in a hurry, and last week talks between France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine aimed at the resumption of the stalled peace process in the Donbass yielded no concrete results. Kiev wants to hold local elections Russian demilitarized occupied Eastern territories, and Moscow and its puppets separatists want the first elections were held, and only then will fold their hand.
In accordance with this plan, Russia is conducting the sweep in the ranks of the separatists, eliminating the most obvious and enjoying the dubious reputation of aggressive characters in an attempt to avoid serious uncontrolled escalation at the front and make the separatist regimes more attractive as partners for the future process of peaceful settlement of the conflict. This reorganization involves bloodshed and harsh measures, but not only that. Although some leaders were killed, others were just “dismissed” — as, for example, the arrow and a former speaker of the Parliament DND Andrey Purgin (imperialist and supporter of the hard line, to the place which put his Deputy, occupying a more conciliatory stance)— both of them now live in Russia.
Troubleshooting of Motorola and his ilk does not solve the most difficult problems encountered in the course of the conflict, but perhaps over time it will allow Moscow to exert pressure on Kiev, forcing him to negotiate with the less radical and more respectable surrogates. This “purge” can provide a convenient way to the Kremlin, allowing Russia to get out of the impasse, calling for the removal of punitive sanctions and focus more on the war in Syria.
It is unlikely that the life of such leaders as Zakharchenko and Carpentry, is in danger, says lecturer in European studies at king’s College London Alexander Clarkson (Alexander Clarkson). But it is possible that, in the end, it is also necessary to remove — perhaps offering them asylum in Russia under the close supervision of the security services. “The Russians are puppets that are not directly involved in war crimes or are not involved in MH17, says Clarkson. — If Zakharchenko will be removed before carrying out any elections, Moscow will provide to Kiev a senior official with a spotless reputation, making itself a compromise of direct negotiations would be more acceptable.”
Wednesday, October 19, thousands of people, far from geopolitics, came to say goodbye to Pavlov in the center of Donetsk at the memorial ceremony held at the theater of Opera and ballet. Then the coffin with the body of a warlord surrounded by wreaths mounted on the carriage guns, and the ceremony marched through the streets of the city. For most people of Ukraine, he was a war criminal, who personified the conflict in most of its worst forms. But in Russia and in the separatist republics he was an idol, who fought heroically against Kiev. (Interestingly, after the death of Pavlov Moscow, it seems, distanced themselves from him. Press Secretary of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov said that the materials in memory of slain field commander, which appeared in Russian state and private media “are not the official position”).
Discredited according to the Minsk peace agreements that were signed last year prohibits the harassment of persons involved in the conflict. Despite this, many in Ukraine hope that the most heinous criminals are brought to justice. Among them were Pavlov. Last year in a telephone interview he revealed all his cruelty, admitting that the killing of prisoners of war. “Believe it or not, but I [swearing] what I am accused. I shot 15 prisoners. I [swearing]. No comment. Want to kill, don’t kill,” he said to the journalist.
Last month, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko called Pavlova a “monster” and vowed that the separatist commander to answer for his alleged crimes. After the unexplained murder Pavlova disappeared and hope to put him on trial.
