Ukraine says it killed Kremlin-backed politician in car bombing in occupied Luhansk | CNN

Ukraine said it was responsible for the assassination of a Russia-backed official with a car bomb in the occupied eastern city of Luhansk on Wednesday.

Mikhail Filiponenko, a lawmaker in the Kremlin-installed assembly, was a former head of the army of the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR). He had been active in the region’s pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.

Both Ukrainian and Russian authorities reported Filiponenko had been killed in a car bombing early Wednesday morning. Ukraine’s military intelligence service immediately claimed responsibility and warned others serving “terrorist Russia” would receive similar “retribution.”

“A special operation to eliminate the executioner Filiponenko was implemented together with representatives of the resistance movement,” Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said on Telegram.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal investigation into the explosion.

“Today in the morning an unidentified explosive device exploded under the bottom of the car, killing Mikhail Filiponenko,” it said on Telegram. “A criminal case has been opened.”