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Top rebel commander dies in ambush in Lugansk
 For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately. By Chris Covert Rantburg.com One of the most popular and charismatic field commanders for the Russian backed rebels in southeastern Ukraine -- Alexei Mozgovoy -- was killed in a remote detonated mine and small arms attack in Lugansk Saturday evening, according to Russian language news accounts. Among the others also killed in that attack was Anna Aseeva -- his spokesman -- and two bodyguards. According to a video report of a press conference held after the attack, a total of seven were killed in that attack, including Mozgovoy's staff. An undisclosed number of wounded were hinted in press and video accounts, but were not revealed. According to several reports, the attack took place near the same location a previous attack against Mozgovoy had taken place last March 7th, near Alchevsk in Lugansk. The Toyota Sequoia SUV Mozgovoy was riding in, was attacked by a remotely detonated mine, and then his attackers opened fire on the Perevalsk - Alchevsk highway using automatic gun fire. In a press conference in Lugansk, a representative of the Lugansk civilian authorities, identified as Sergey Gorenko advanced that one of their working theories was that a Ukrainian "subversive group" was responsible for both the March attempt and this last attempt. Mozgovoy was commander of the "Ghost" Brigade, and one of several original Russian commanders to take control of rebel forces in the fighting in southeastern Ukraine starting in July. Mozgovoy was also one of seven top field commanders attacked inside rebel territory, and the fifth to die. All but two commanders were located and under the command of Lugansk political authorities, including Mozgovoy. Mozgovoy had antagonized the political leadership in Lugansk, namely Lugansk president Igor Plotinitsky, whom elements of Mozgovoy's staff had publicly hinted was behind the first attack on Mozgovoy. Plotinitsky himself had a hand in antagonizing commanders in Lugansk, first by assassinating a popular field commander, Aleksandr Bednov at the first of the year, whom Plotinitsky's government said was being investigated for the murder of four civilians last July. The assassination attempt was disclaimed by Plotinitsky's Interior Ministry as an arrest attempt, even through the arresting officers had used thermobaric rocket launchers against Bednov and his security detail as they were being driven in a two vehicle convoy in Grigorievka, south of Lugansk city. That attack did not sit well with several field commanders, specifically Cossack field commanders, and with Mozgovoy himself, who, according to the latest reports, had accused the Lugansk political leadership of murder. Just before the the last ceasefire in February, several Cosssack field commanders had exchanged heavy gunfire with several units loyal of Plotinitsky because, it was charged, Plotinitsky was doing business with Kiev, specifically selling them coal. Indications are that Plotinitsky is still selling coal to the Ukrainians. Between the time of Bednov's death and Mozgovoy's, several Cossack commanders had been detained and trundled off to Russia, with at least one, Ataman Mykola Kozitsyn being executed by Russian special forces, according to Ukrainian Russian language news accounts. One report in rebel media said that at least one and possibly two rebel Cossack military units were disarmed by rebel forces near Donetsk city after brief, but intense gunfire last month. Rebel reports are mum as to the identity of the Cossack units eliminated by rebel forces in Donetsk. One Cossack commander still alive was given a battle flag and an honorific for his command. Colonel Pavel Dremov and his 6th Cossack Motorized Cavalry Regiment "Matvei Platov" was so honored last April, and had been placed under the unified Lugansk command authority, to include the same logistics almost all other rebel commands were receiving. But not Mozgovoy and his Ghost Brigade. As of two weeks ago his units were being denied the usual resources virtually all other commanders under Lugansk civilian authorities were receiving, including battle flags and honorifics. Last May 9th, Victory Day, Mozgovoy was ordered by Lugansk not to hold a Victory Day celebration, and not to allow any of his units to Lugansk to help celebrate by participating in the Victory Day Parade. The snub by Plotinitsky was answered shortly by Mozgovoy as he held his own parade and celebration in Alchevsk. Mozgovoy was severely critical of rebel leadership in the wake of the Debaltsevo defensive operation where nearly six thousand Ukrainian troops were surrounded and liquidated by rebel forces in an operation lasting almost four weeks. Mozgovoy had revealed to a western television crew last April that he regarded the Debaltsevo operation as a Pyrrhic victory, and that the rebel losses were "colossal", his words. Ukrainian reports seem to bear this out, as newly formed rebel units at the time were driven into battle zones against Ukrainian volunteer and military units dug in in fixed defenses with the minimum of instructions, munitions and no maps. Two of the popular Cossack commanders participated in the latter stages of the Debaltsevo operation, Ataman Kozitsyn and Colonel Dremov, but it was Dremov who disputed Mozgovoy's contention of massive losses suffered by rebel forces. Dremov told an Estonian Russian language news website earlier this month that his impression of rebel effort was the combat correlations -- high military science in most Slavic military circles -- was unfavorable to the rebels. Despite his objections, Dremov claimed his loss ratio was less than five percent of his totals. Videos released directly after the conclusion of the Debaltsevo indicated that the Cossack units were sent in to mop up Ukrainian stragglers. As for reaction to the news, it should be noted that Plotinitsky's declaration last spring that Lugansk should become part of the Russian Federation was also a factor in the problems he had with his commanders. Several of those commanders, including Mozgovoy, as well as Cossack commanders wanted an independent united republic known as Novorossiya, and has publicly expressed their desire for a separate republic. Even Colonel Dremov was in Moscow recently trying to convince legislators to continue pushing the idea of a separate united independent republic, a policy with runs counter not only to Ukrainian goals, but apparently now to the Russian Federation as well. It is now being said in Russian blogging media that the Novorossiya project of Vladimir Putin is now over and that Russia may be on the cusp of abandoning the political leadership, as well as the military leadership of the rebels to the mercies of the Ukrainians. Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here. Posted by: badanov 2015-05-24 |
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