Luhansks Ex-Mayor Dies in City Center Blast Amid Ongoing Investigation

The previous mayor of Luhansk, who was installed by the Kremlin, was killed in an explosion in the city center, as reported by local media on Thursday.

“Regrettably, it’s accurate,” was cited by the state-operated Luhansk Information Center, quoting a relative of the former mayor, Manolis Pilavov, whose identity has not been disclosed.

Officials from the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic confirmed one fatality and three injuries resulting from the explosion, though they did not disclose the names of those affected.

Investigators announced that they have initiated a criminal probe into the incident.

Footage released by the authorities showed a destroyed entrance to a residential building.

The Telegram news channel Mash, which has connections to Russian security agencies, reported that a bomb detonated when an individual opened the door. The channel later suggested that a woman might have been unknowingly carrying an explosive device in her handbag.

Verification of this claim was not immediately possible.

Pilavov held the position of mayor in Luhansk with support from Moscow from 2014, when pro-Russian forces took control of the city, until 2023.