Ukraine takes credit for car bomb killing of a Russia-backed official in Luhansk
abcnews.go.comThe bombing killed a Russia-backed official, authorities say.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s intelligence agency claimed responsibility for a car bombing Wednesday that killed a member of the Russia-backed authority in the illegally annexed Luhansk region.
Mikhail Filiponenko was a member of the local legislature and previously served as police chief. He had survived a car bombing on Feb. 21, 2022, three days before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Local officials announced Filiponenko’s death.
Filiponenko had organized and participated in the torture of prisoners of war and civilians, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense said on Telegram.
It said that the killing was a warning that “traitors to Ukraine and collaborators with terrorist Russia in temporarily occupied territories … will receive just retribution! The hunt continues!”
The agency said that members of the resistance movement helped carry out the killing.
Russia-backed insurgents declared a separatist Luhansk People’s Republic in 2014 and fought Ukrainian forces relying on Moscow’s military and political support. Russia illegally annexed it in 2022 along with three other eastern Ukrainian regions after invading Ukraine.
Ukraine received good news, meanwhile, on its bid to join the European Union. The EU’s executive branch recommended it should be permitted to open membership talks once it’s addressed shortfalls that include corruption.
In a setback that had been anticipated, Slovakia’s new government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected a proposal by its predecessor to send Ukraine another package of weapons aid as it fights Russia’s invasion.
Fico had vowed to end his country’s military aid for Ukraine.
The
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