Eastern Ukraine separatist leader reportedly arrested in Russia

Russian authorities have allegedly detained Igor Plotnitsky, the head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, according to the Ukrainian media.

RBC-Ukraine quotes a Facebook post written by Alexander Briginets, the press center coordinator of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist headquarters in Kramatorsk: “People in Luhansk are convinced that Plotnitsky has been detained in Russia and will never come back to the Luhansk area.”

Ukrainskie Novosti says a source from the Luhansk People’s Republic confirmed that Plotnitsky was detained in Moscow: “They are deciding his fate right now. It’s 50/50, meaning he might come back to his post. They are talking to him,” claimed the source.

Both Briginets and the source from the Luhansk People’s Republic suspect that the arrest was made in connection with separatists' questionable practices in distributing humanitarian aid delivered by Russia to the area.

The press office of the Luhansk People’s Republic denies that Plotnitsky has been arrested, saying he is only being treated at a local hospital for a bad cold.

There's been no official comment from either Russian or Ukrainian officials on the issue.

Plotnitsky has been transferred to Russia for a discussion of his questionable activities as head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, including questionable financial practices.

Igor Plotnitsky has been the head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in the separatist east of Ukraine since August 2014. Before taking on this role, he served as the republic's minister of defense. In elections held in the Luhansk People’s Republic in early November, Plotnitsky won 60 percent of the vote. No foreign states—not even the Russian Federation—have recognized the elections in Luhansk.