Valery Bolotov

Valery Dmitrievitch Bolotov (Russian: Вале́рий Дми́триевич Бо́лотов; Ukrainian: Вале́рій Дми́трович Бо́лотов; 13 February 1970 – 27 January 2017) was a Ukrainian militant leader known for his involvement in the Donbass War in eastern Ukraine, and as the leader of the unrecognized Lugansk People's Republic. The Security Service of Ukraine has associated Bolotov with the Federal Security Service of Russian Federation.

Bolotov was born in Russia’s southern port city of Taganrog on 13 February 1970. Bolotov moved to Stakhanov in the Luhansk Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine in 1974. According to the Russia Today, he has two university degrees.

Bolotov claims to be a senior sergeant of the Soviet Airborne Troops in Vitebsk (presumably the 103rd Guards Airborne Division) and between 1989-90 participated in number of conflicts including Tbilisi, Yerevan and Karabakh. He later became the head of the airborne veterans group, while no one of the Luhansk Oblast group cell can confirm it. Bolotov has a wife and two children.

Bolotov has worked as manager and director at a meat factory and used to run a small business.

Before the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, Bolotov was a representative of Oleksandr Yefremov who supervised illegal mining in the region.

In 2014, Bolotov became a leader of an armed group during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine. On May 13, 2014, Bolotov survived an assassination attempt as assailants fired automatic weapons towards his car, wounding the militants leader. Bolotov was then briefly captured by the Ukrainian army on May 17 after he attempted to re-enter Lugansk after receiving treatment for his injury at a hospital in Russia. However, armed supporters of the Lugansk People's Republic attacked the Ukrainian army checkpoint where Bolotov was being held shortly afterwards and successfully freed the "People's Governor".

Lugansk People's Republic's parliament elected Bolotov head of the republic on 18 May 2014.

Bolotov resigned on 14 August 2014.

The causes of his death are currently being investigated.