Russia-appointed Deputy Mayor injured in an explosion in occupied Berdyansk
A powerful explosion reverberated through the occupied city of Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region early on August 15, reportedly targeting the so-called "deputy mayor," Pavel Ishchuk. According to Victoria Halytsina, the head of Berdyansk's Military Civil Administration, Ishchuk was critically injured in the blast.
Residents in Berdyansk's central area awoke to the loud explosion shortly after 5 a.m. Russian security forces quickly cordoned off the site of the incident.
Initial reports suggest the early morning explosion could be linked to the elimination of Pavel Ishchuk, appointed by Russia as the "deputy mayor" for external and internal policies and mass communications. This pseudo administrative role is part of the puppet governance structure imposed during the Russian occupation.
While details are still emerging and no official confirmations have been made, the nature of the explosion has triggered widespread speculation.
Before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ishchuk worked as a journalist and served as the chief editor of the newspaper "Gorod." In late April 2022, he was assigned the controversial role of deputy mayor by Russian forces. On October 31, 2022, he sustained severe injuries from an explosion in the temporarily occupied city.
Ishchuk's ties to professional and civic organizations were severed early in 2022; he was expelled from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU).
In 2013, he was appointed spokesperson for then-mayor Oleksiy Bakai and led the press service of Berdyansk's city executive committee. His name appears in the "Myrotvorets" database which lists individuals deemed enemies of Ukraine.
On May 15, 2023, the Zhovtnevyi District Court of Zaporizhzhia found Ishchuk guilty of collaboration under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. He was sentenced to eight years in absentia, barred from holding public office for 15 years, and ordered the confiscation of all his property.
Explosions also rocked occupied Donetsk on August 16. According to reports, strikes hit the "Galaktika" shopping center, which Ukrainian sources claim was being used by Russians to store ammunition.