Arsen Sergeyevich Pavlov (russian: Арсе́н Серге́евич Па́влов; 2 February 1983 – 16 October 2016), known by his Motorola (Моторо́ла), was a Russian militant known for murdering and torturing Ukrainian POWs,
who led the
Sparta Battalion
The Sparta Battalion (russian: батальон «Спарта») is a Russian separatist military unit of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. It has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donba ...
up until his death in a blast on his apartment in Donetsk.
Early life and career
A Russian citizen,
Pavlov was born in
Ukhta
Ukhta (russian: Ухта́; kv, Уква, ''Ukva'') is an important industrial town in the Komi Republic of Russia. Population:
It was previously known as ''Chibyu'' (until 1939).
History
Oil springs along the Ukhta River were already known in ...
,
Komi ASSR
The Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (russian: Коми Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика; kv, Коми Автономнӧй Сӧветскӧй Социалистическӧй ...
. His father came from
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. It was named after Mikhai ...
, his mother was a native of the Komi ASSR. He lived in
Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
and spent some time in the Russian marines. According to a newspaper report by ''
Georgian Journal
Georgian Journal was a Georgian weekly newspaper published by the Palitra Media Holding. It was one of the few newspapers in Georgia to be printed fully in English. As of December 29, 2015 the paper is no longer issued and has merged with ''Georg ...
'' he had serious problems with Rostov's police while working there at a car wash, since he allegedly went on a drunken joyride in a car stolen from there.
In an interview, Pavlov states that he had abandoned a wife and 5-year-old son in Russia before going to Ukraine, where he then remarried to 21-year-old Olena Kolenkina in Slovyansk.
According to Pavlov, he got his nickname "Motorola" after working with
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
-manufactured equipment while serving for four years as a wireman in the military
[ or due to his role as the chief radioman for the commanding officer in the marine infantry.
]
Activities in Ukraine
On 16 March 2014, he participated in "anti-Maidan
The anti-Maidan ( uk, Антимайда́н, Antymaidan; russian: Антимайдан, Antimaydan) refers to a number of pro-Russian demonstrations in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 that were directed against Euromaidan and later the new Ukrainian g ...
" protests in Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.[war in Donbas
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...]
against the Ukrainian government. He declared the region to be "the Land of Russians".
Pavlov led his battalion in both the Battle of Ilovaisk
The Battle of Ilovaisk; uk, Іловайський котел, '). The word "kettle" refers to encirclement by enemy forces, which is termed "falling into the kettle". The word is also used to refer to battles during the Second World War, such ...
and the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport
A part of the ongoing war in the Donbas region of Ukraine, the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport began on 28 September 2014. An earlier battle in May 2014 had left Donetsk International Airport in Ukrainian control. Despite a ceasefire agreem ...
. The government of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...
placed him on its wanted list for the creation of illegal paramilitary and military formations (Article 260, part 5). In February 2015, the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
added him to its list of sanctioned individuals.
On 2 October 2014, Pavlov threatened to go to Poland after the plane of Russian defence minister
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...
Sergei Shoigu
Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...
was not allowed to fly over Polish airspace on 29 August 2014.
On 24 June 2016, an assassination attempt was made on him in Donetsk after he left a traumatological center when a car bomb exploded. A few cars were damaged in the area, but no casualties or wounds were reported.
War crimes
In April 2015, the ''Kyiv Post
The ''Kyiv Post'' is the oldest English-language newspaper in Ukraine, founded in October 1995 by Jed Sunden.
History
American Jed Sunden founded the ''Kyiv Post'' weekly newspaper on Oct. 18, 1995 and later created KP Media for his holdings. ...
'' released a recording in which Pavlov discussed killing fifteen Ukrainian prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
. Pavlov and his battalion have also been accused of torturing captured Ukrainian soldiers. After Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky was captured near Donetsk and was in custody of Pavlov's group, Pavlov deliberately killed the prisoner on 21 January 2015 with two headshots.
Personal life
He publicly married Olena Kolenkina on 11 July 2014, in a wedding amid the war. The wedding was attended by Igor Girkin
Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin ( rus, И́горь Все́володович Ги́ркин, p=ˈiɡərʲ ˈfsʲevələdəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡʲirkʲɪn; born 17 December 1970), also known by the alias Igor Ivanovich Strelkov ( rus, И́горь Ива́ ...
and Pavel Gubarev
Pavel Yuryevich Gubarev (russian: Па́вел Ю́рьевич Гу́барев, ; or Pavlo Yuriyovych Hubariev uk, Павло Юрійович Губарєв; born 10 February 1983) is a Russian activist who proclaimed himself the "People's ...
. In a June 2014 interview to Russian newspaper ''Zavtra
Alexander Andreyevich Prokhanov (russian: Алекса́ндр Андре́евич Проха́нов; born 26 February 1938) is a Russian writer, a member of the secretariat of the Writers Union of the Russian Federation and the author of more ...
'', Pavlov stated that he was already married and had a five-year-old son. He and his bride were featured in a caricature by Donetsk artist Serhiy Zakharov, who was subsequently held prisoner and tortured for several months by pro-Russian separatists. He rented an apartment in Donetsk for ₴2,500 per month and owned a Lada Niva
The Lada Niva Legend, formerly called the Lada Niva, VAZ-2121, VAZ-2131, and Lada 4×4 (russian: link=no, ВАЗ-2121, ВАЗ-2131, Лада Нива), is a series of four-wheel drive, small (hatchback), and compact (wagon and pickup) off-road c ...
given as a gift by Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, ''né'' Eidelshtein (russian: link=false, Эйдельштейн) (25 April 1946 – 6 April 2022) was a Russian right-wing populist politician and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) f ...
.[
]
Death
Arsen Pavlov was killed on 16 October 2016 by an IED explosion in his apartment's elevator in Donetsk. Pavlov's bodyguard was also killed in the blast. Donetsk People's Republic officials accused of the killing a previously unkown "Misanthropic Division", an alleged Ukrainian Neo-Nazi group that was possibly fabricated by Russian FSB agents Ukrainian officials denied the allegations, stating that Arsen Pavlov was "lucky" to be killed so he would not have to face justice for his crimes, further suggesting the rebel leader was likely assassinated by Russia's special forces as part of a wider purge against the early leaders of the rebel movement, pointing to the fact that about half dozen rebel commanders have been assassinated. DPR authorities declared a three-day mourning commemorating "DPR hero, Colonel Arseny Pavlov".
Following his death, the Ukrainian hacking group Cyber Junta disclosed information from Pavlov's phone, including personal photos and videos, legal documents, and correspondence. In the weeks leading up to his assassination, Pavlov expressed worry over a conflict with Russian officers, and believed he had become expendable. On 15 October, Pavlov instructed his wife to not trust Russian FSB agents. Shaun Walker, the Moscow correspondent of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' reported that Pavlov was extremely paranoid about his security, and that it is likely that such an attack would require aid from someone within his inner circle.
Aftermath
The assassination of Arsen Pavlov was part of a range of high-profile deaths within the ranks of Ukraine's separatists, starting with the assassination of Alexander Bednov, the leader of the ''Batman Battalion'' and Aleksey Mozgovoy
Aleksey Borisovich Mozgovoy or Mozgovoi (russian: Алексе́й Бори́сович Мозгово́й, uk, Олексі́й Бори́сович Мозгови́й, translit=Oleksii Borysovych Mozghovyi'';'' 3 April 1975 – 23 May 2015) wa ...
, the leader of the ''Prizrak Brigade
The Prizrak Brigade (russian: Бригада «Призрак», meaning "Ghost Brigade"), founded by Aleksey Mozgovoy, is an infantry unit of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), one of the self-proclaimed breakaway states located in the Donba ...
'' in May 2015. The death of Arsen Pavlov came within a month of the death of Yevgeny Zhilin, the founder of ''Oplot Battalion'', which would later form into the ''Oplot Brigade''.
Ukrainian officials have stated that Arsen Pavlov was assassinated by Russia's special forces as part of a drive to purge early separatist leaders that took part in the original insurgency of 2014, who may be charismatic but are often unpredictable. Moreover, most of the separatist leaders assassinated headed their own units, which would often engage in infighting over territory or control of the black market, suspecting that the assassinations are part of a drive to form a more uniform chain of command. Another theory behind the assassination has been that there is a drive to get rid of the first generation of rebels who were implicated in war crimes, therefore giving the separatist forces a more acceptable public face. Indeed, Amnesty International has called for an investigation into Arsen Pavlov executing 15 unarmed Ukrainian prisoners. Moreover, Arsen Pavlov's alleged war crimes have been one of the sticking points of the implementations of the Minsk II agreement, with Ukrainian authorities stating that he would not be granted amnesty. Furthermore, Arsen Pavlov was not a Ukrainian citizen, being born and raised in Russia, and serving in the Russian military during the Chechen conflict. Thus, his involvement as the leader of a Ukrainian separatist movement was pointed to as an example of Russian interference in the conflict. Ukrainian member of Parliament, Maksym Burbak claimed that the assassination may have been a ploy to replace Russian born separatist leaders with Ukrainian born ones, making the war in Donbas
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
look more like an internal affair. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko suggested the assassination could be used as cover for Russian separatists to carry out terrorist attacks within Ukraine.
Awards
* Order of Courage The Order of Courage may refer to:
* , a state decoration of the partially recognized republic of Abkhazia
* Order of Courage (Iran), a state decoration of Iran
* Order of Courage (Russia)
The Order of Courage (russian: Орден Мужес ...
(posthumous)
See also
*Valery Bolotov
Valery Dmitrievitch Bolotov ( rus, Вале́рий Дми́триевич Бо́лотов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈdmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪdʑ ˈbolətəf; uk, Вале́рій Дми́трович Бо́лотов; 13 February 1970 – 27 January 20 ...
*
*
*Mikhail Tolstykh
Mikhail Sergeyevich Tolstykh ( uk, Михайло Сергійович Толстих, russian: Михаи́л Сергéевич Толсты́х; 19 July 1980 – 8 February 2017), better known by his '' nom de guerre'' Givi (Ги́ви), ...
*Gennadiy Tsypkalov
Gennadiy Nikolayevich Tsypkalov (russian: Геннадий Николаевич Цыпкалов; 21 June 1973 – 24 September 2016) was a political and military figure of the unrecognized Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). For short time in May 20 ...
*
*Separatist forces of the war in Donbas
The Donetsk People's Militia and Luhansk People's Militia (formerly also called Russian separatist forces in Donbas) are pro-Russian paramilitaries in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which have been fighting the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavlov, Arsen
1983 births
2016 deaths
2010s murders in Ukraine
2016 murders in Europe
Deaths by improvised explosive device in Ukraine
People from Ukhta
People murdered in Ukraine
War criminals
People of the Chechen wars
People of the Donetsk People's Republic
Pro-Russian people of the war in Donbas
Military personnel killed in war in Donbas
Russian military personnel killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Unsolved murders in Ukraine
Russian individuals subject to the European Union sanctions