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Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bednov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бедно́в, Ukrainian: Олекса́ндр Олекса́ндрович Бєдно́в; 29 August 1969 – 1 January 2015) was a former Soviet and Ukrainian militsiya officer and rebel commander of the self-proclaimedLuhansk People's Republic in Ukraine.[1] He was the leader of the pro-Russian Batman Rapid Response Group. He was assassinated in Luhansk, with a debate among his supporters on who was responsible[2] although on the day of his killing LPR "prosecutor's office" issued an official statement confirming "liquidation" of Bednov as "a head of a criminal organization".[3]
Death
Bednov commanded the Rapid Response Group "Batman" (also known as the Batman Battalion) until he was killed in an attack on his convoy on 1 January 2015.[4] LPR "prosecutor's office" described the attack as an "arrest attempt" in relation to a criminal investigation against Bednov started on 30 Demember 2014.[3]
Members of the group said that the attack was ordered by head of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Igor Plotnitsky.[4] According to them, Bednov and his fighters were shot and killed "by order of Plotnitsky" because he was "ordered to sweep all intransigent commanders."[5] Following this attack, the LPR arrested some of Bednov's men, and dissolved the battalion.[6] Some of its personnel were dispersed into other LPR units, while Donetsk People's Republic field commanders Givi and Motorola invited former members to join their battalions.[6]
After Bednov's assassination, Igor Girkin criticized the killing as a "murder" and "gangster ambush", and suggested that other commanders seriously consider leaving Donbas to Russia, as he did.[7]
