- Title: Ukraine rebel leader says situation in Luhansk is attempted coup
- Date: 22nd November 2017
- Summary: LUHANSK, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 22, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNIDENTIFIED ARMED MEN IN MILITARY UNIFORM PATROLLING STREET GROUP OF UNIDENTIFIED ARMED MEN IN MILITARY UNIFORM BOARDING MINI VAN VARIOUS OF UNIDENTIFIED ARMED MEN IN MILITARY UNIFORM PATROLLING STREET HEAD OF SELF-STYLED "LUHANSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" (LNR), IGOR PLOTNITSKY, TAKING SEAT AT HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF SELF-STYLED "LUHANSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" (LNR), IGOR PLOTNITSKY, SAYING: "Kornet (Igor Kornet, local interior minister who was sacked on Monday), was suspended from his position, but it looks like the little man has been overblown by big ambitions and for some reason he has decided that the court ruling was not a law for him. And today we have this situation, which I would say is developing not in a very successful way for him." MICROPHONE AND FLAG OF SELF-STYLED "LUHANSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF SELF-STYLED "LUHANSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" (LNR), IGOR PLOTNITSKY, SAYING: "Yes, there is a military convoy (in Luhansk). Kornet had tried to involve some forces on his side, and this is unlawful. And yes, as I said this is an attempt of an armed coup. And this is what it is." PLOTNITSKY AND MEMBER OF HIS ADMINISTRATION IN HIS OFFICE WITH RUSSIAN NATIONAL AND LNR FLAGS BY WALL UNIDENTIFIED ARMED MEN IN MILITARY UNIFORM PATROLLING STREET PEDESTRIANS CROSSING STREET GUARDED BY UNIDENTIFIED ARMED MEN IN MILITARY UNIFORM (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SACKED CHIEF OF POLICE OF SELF-STYLED "LUHANSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" (LNR), IGOR KORNET, SAYING: "During this long investigation we have disclosed a big number of the agents of influence of Ukrainian special services who deeply infiltrated our republic's power structures. At the moment in this situation we receiving help from our friendly people and law enforcement agencies of Donetsk People Republic."
- Embargoed: 6th December 2017 20:40
- Keywords: Ukraine Luhansk People's Republic Igor Plotnitsky armed men in the streets Ukraine's breakaway Luhansk region
- Location: LUHANSK, UKRAINE
- City: LUHANSK, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00178K2XXJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The presence of armed men in the streets of the capital of Ukraine's breakaway Luhansk region is an attempted coup by a fired local police chief, Igor Plotnitsky, the head of the self-styled "Luhansk People's Republic" (LNR), said on Wednesday (November 22).
Plotnitsky who sacked Igor Kornet on Monday (November 20) said there was a convoy of military personnel and vehicles in Luhansk and described it as an attempt at an armed coup.
In fighting that broke out in 2014, Russian-backed rebels threw off rule by a new pro-Western leadership in Kiev and set up two self-proclaimed separatist statelets in eastern Ukraine, one centred in Luhansk and another around the city of Donetsk.
Those separatist regions are aided by Moscow but not recognised by any state, and they have been dogged by outbreaks of internal tensions that have on occasion turned violent.
The Kremlin is following the situation in Ukraine's rebel-controlled Luhansk region, where there is a standoff between the head of the rebel administration and a sacked police chief, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None