Explosion Kills Former Kremlin-Backed Luhansk Mayor, Injures Three

Manolis Pilavov, the former Kremlin-backed mayor of Russian-occupied Luhansk, was killed in an explosion in the city center on July 3, 2025. The blast, reportedly caused by an improvised explosive device planted behind a door, also injured three others. Pilavov led the occupation administration from 2014 until November 2023 and was wanted by Ukrainian authorities since 2015 on charges including attempts to violently overthrow the constitutional order and violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. Ukrainian sources have implicated the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the attack, though Ukraine has not officially commented on his death. Pilavov was a prominent supporter of the Luhansk People's Republic and had been sanctioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his role in supporting Russia's military aggression. The incident reflects the increasing frequency of attacks targeting collaborators and officials associated with the Russian occupation in eastern Ukraine.