SBU: mercenaries of Wagner private military company arrived in Luhansk from Russia
The Security Service of Ukraine reported that additional forces from the private military company Wagner arrived at the separatist-controlled territory of the Luhansk region. The website of the SBU states that they came to support the separatist Igor Kornet, after the conflict between him and former head of LPR Igor Plotnitsky which resulted in Plotnitsky fleeing to Russia.
The special service reported that in 2015, Kornet and the head of the Wagner private military company under the supervision of the FSB killed soldiers of Alexander Bednov (Batman), Sergei Kosogorov (Kosogor) and Alexei Fomin (Foma). As evidence, the SBU published the records of Kornet's conversations with Wagner CEO Dmitry Utkin and FSB officer Oleg Khmury.
"The SBU does not rule out a similar scenario based on the outcome of the situation in Luhansk," the statement of SU reads.
On November 21, "Interior Minister of the LPR" Igor Kornet, who was dismissed by Plotnitsky, refused to leave his post. He published a video message claiming that some high-ranking figures of the LPR, including those close to Plotnitsky, are agents of the Ukrainian special services.
That same evening, a convoy of dozens of military vehicles from Donetsk entered Luhansk. Subsequently, the MGB (Ministry of State Security) of the DPR announced that it was conducting a joint special operation with the LPR forces against "Ukrainian saboteurs." Officials controlled by Plotnitsky were detained.
On Thursday, November 23, Kornet said that his armed operation saved the LPR from returning to Ukraine. On the same day, Russian media reported that Plotnitsky had left Luhansk.
On November 24, former SBU employee Leonid Pasechnik was appointed to replace Plotnitsky.