Main points
- On July 3, an explosion occurred in temporarily occupied Luhansk, killing former mayor Manolis Pilavov and injuring three others.
- The explosives were detonated remotely near the local history museum; Pilavov was wanted for participating in illegal armed groups.
- Pilavov served as mayor of Lugansk until 2023
Former mayor blown up in Lugansk / photo from Russian media
An explosion occurred in the center of temporarily occupied Luhansk on July 3, killing the city's former mayor, Manolis Pilavov. Three more people were injured. The explosives were detonated remotely near the local history museum.
This was reported by Channel 24 , citing Russian media.
How Pilavov was blown up
According to preliminary data, the explosives were left on the porch. When Manolis Pilavov passed by, the device was detonated remotely. At first, it was reported that one person was killed and three more were injured. It was later revealed that the deceased was former Luhansk mayor Manolis Pilavov.
Consequences of the explosion in Lugansk: watch the video
It is symbolic that the former mayor of Lugansk was blown up on Taras Shevchenko Street, which was called Bankovskaya until 1913, and Romanovskaya in 1913-1917. Despite the fact that the street was named after the outstanding Ukrainian writer, the Russians have not renamed it since the beginning of the occupation.
Where the explosion probably took place in Lugansk: see the map
Manolis Pilavov was born on March 24, 1964, in the village of Alekseyevka, Georgian SSR. He served as deputy mayor of Luhansk twice, and since December 2014, he has headed the city administration, which is under the control of the occupiers. Pilavov remained mayor of Luhansk until 2023.
The SBU Investigative Department in Luhansk Oblast was looking for Pilavov under the article on active participation in an illegal armed group. He was charged with violent change of the constitutional order, encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the creation of a terrorist group or organization.
Let us recall that in the center of temporarily occupied Lugansk, an explosion occurred near the local history museum, where the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the Russian operation “Potok” was taking place. The building near the epicenter of the explosion was partially destroyed, and the windows of neighboring houses were broken.
