Lugansk: interior minister announces exposure of plot in the republic

Lugansk People’s Republic Interior Minister Igor Kornet has announced that a Ukrainian intelligence group was disclosed in the republic last night. According to the minister, the group wanted to get into the republic in order to mount terror attacks. The ministry said that most of the intruders were detained, a search operation is on the way now in order to find the rest of the group and their accomplices.

In a statement cited by the Lugansk Information Center, Kornet said that he submitted materials to the LPR head Igor Plotnitsky that became the basis for filing criminal procedures and arrest Lugansk officials who were involved in activities of the Ukrainian special services. The list of arrested persons includes CEO of LPR State Television and Radio Company Anastasia Shurkayeva, the head of Plotnitsky’s administration Irina Teytsman and head of the government security service of the LPR Interior Ministry Yevgeny Selivyorstov.

Meanwhile, Kornet refuted reports on his resignation (a decree on it was published yesterday). Kornet stated that the media were disseminating false reports that Interior Ministry officials were involved in illegal activities. “It is triggered by the fact that we have irrefutable proofs that some top officials are involved in illegal activities harming interests of the republic and the people,” the minister added.

Igor Plotnitsky has not commented yet on the intruders and did not clear up the situation with Kornet’s resignation.

Meanwhile, some Ukrainian media inform that a coup has taken place in Lugansk. According to the reports, a conflict between Kornet and Plotnitsky turned into an armed conflict: several military commanders supported Kornet. There were reports that unidentified armed people cordoned off Lugansk center. Witnesses said they saw “masked riflemen” and “people in grey camouflage supposedly from Berkut.”