Alexander Bednov

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bednov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бедно́в, Ukrainian: Олекса́ндр Олекса́ндрович Бєдно́в; 29 August 1969 – 1 January 2015) was a former Soviet and Ukrainian militsiya officer and rebel commander of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine.[1] He was the leader of the pro-Russian Batman Rapid Response Group. He was assassinated in Luhansk, with conflicting reports on who was responsible.[2]

Alexander Bednov
Bednov in October 2014
Minister of Defence of the Luhansk People's Republic
In office
20 August 2014  26 August 2014
PresidentIgor Plotnitsky
Prime MinisterIgor Plotnitsky
Preceded byIgor Plotnitsky
Succeeded byOleg Bugrov
Personal details
Born
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bednov

(1969-08-29)29 August 1969
Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died1 January 2015(2015-01-01) (aged 45)
Lutuhyne, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine[a]
Military service
Nickname(s)Batman
Allegiance Soviet Union
 Ukraine
 Luhansk People's Republic
Branch/serviceMilitsiya
Unit Batman Rapid Response Group
Battles/warsWar in Donbass

Death

Bednov commanded the Rapid Response Group "Batman" (also known as the Batman Battalion) until he was killed in an attack on his convoy on 1 January 2015.[3] Members of the group said that the attack was ordered by head of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Igor Plotnitsky.[3] According to them, Bednov and his fighters were killed "by order of Plotnitsky" because he was "ordered to sweep all intransigent commanders."[4][5] Following this attack, the LPR arrested some of Bednov's men, and dissolved the battalion.[6] Some of its personnel were dispersed into other LPR units, while Donetsk People's Republic field commanders Givi and Motorola invited former members to join their battalions.[6]

After Bednov's assassination, Igor Girkin criticized the killing as a "murder" and "gangster ambush", and suggested that other commanders seriously consider leaving Donbass to Russia, as he did.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    At the time of his death, Lutuhyne was part of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.

References

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