Ukraine Intelligence Agency Strikes Back: Car Bombing Kills Russia-Backed Authority in Luhansk Region

Ukraine's intelligence agency claimed responsibility for a car bombing in the illegally annexed Luhansk region that resulted in the death of Mikhail Filiponenko, a member of the Russia-backed authority and former police chief. This incident came after Filiponenko had survived a car bombing just days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense revealed that Filiponenko had organized and participated in the torture of prisoners of war and civilians.

The intelligence agency referred to the killing as a warning to "traitors to Ukraine and collaborators with terrorist Russia," stating that they would face retribution. The agency credited members of the resistance movement for their assistance in carrying out the attack. Since the 2014 declaration of the separatist Luhansk People's Republic by Russia-backed insurgents, the region has been a site of ongoing conflict between Ukrainian forces and the separatists. With the support of Moscow, Russia illegally annexed Luhansk in 2022, along with three other eastern Ukrainian regions.

The violence and fighting in the southern and eastern regions persist, with five civilians killed and five injured in recent days, according to the presidential office. The Donetsk region witnessed the deaths of three residents due to shelling, while a man was killed in the city of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in the neighboring Kharkiv region. In the southern Kherson region, a tractor driver fell victim to a mine explosion, and another resident was wounded in a drone attack. Despite the ongoing conflict, Ukraine received encouraging news regarding its bid to join the European Union (EU).

The EU's executive branch recommended that Ukraine be allowed to begin membership talks, provided it addresses issues such as corruption. However, Slovakia's new government, led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, rejected a proposal to send Ukraine another package of weapons aid to support its fight against Russia's invasion. Fico had previously pledged to halt Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine.

The rejected package, valued at over €40 million ($42.7 million), included ammunition and air defense missiles. The previous government had been a strong supporter of Ukraine, supplying arms worth €671 million ($717 million). Amidst these developments, a drone attack near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant caused damage to 27 houses, power lines, and injured a woman. Both sides continue to engage in clashes, shelling, and airstrikes, leading to further loss of life and damage in the affected regions.