The People’s Council (parliament) of the Lugansk People’s Republic has elected Leonid Pasechnik Head of the Republic.
President Vladimir Putin presented three candidates for LPR Head: 3rd parliament deputy Alexander Yermolenko, chairman of the regional branch of the New People’s party Vadim Kolesnik and acting LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik.Forty-nine parliamentarians voted for Pasechnik in a secret ballot. Yermolenko and Kolesnik did not get any votes. Pasechnik said that key objective set back in 2014 - to become part of Russia - had been reached. “I’m ready to continue to serve our great Motherland Russia,” he said. *** Leonid Pasechnik is a statesman and LPR State Security Ministry Major-General. He was born into a family of police officer in Voroshilovgrad, Ukraine, on March 15, 1970. A graduate of the General Alexey Yepishev Donetsk Engineer Troops College, he served with state security bodies from 1993 through December 2013 and led several successful operations to prevent economic crimes. Pasechnik was awarded state decorations including the medal “For Military Service.” In 2013, he retired for length of service. The LPR People’s Council unanimously approved him as LPR Acting Head on November 24, 2017. On November 11, 2013, he was elected Head of the Lugansk People’s Republic. Pasechnik entered office on November 18, 2018. Following the LPR’s accession to Russia, he was appointed Acting Head of the Republic by presidential decree on November 4, 2022.*i
