A Russian drone flew to the house of a fugitive Russian oppositionist: who is Ilya Ponomarev?
1 August 2024 14:08
On the night of 1 August, Russia attacked Kyiv region with attack drones. According to the head of the regional administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, the air defence forces shot down the drones, but their wreckage hit private homes, reports "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to the official, the falling debris damaged two private houses and injured two people, a man and a woman.
The man was Ilya Ponomarev, a fugitive Russian opposition activist who has settled in Kyiv.
According to a number of media outlets, the Russians targeted his house in Kyiv region. Ponomarev himself claims that this is the fifth attempt on his life by Russians.
“Today seems to be my second birthday. The fifth attempted attack was the most unconventional and successful, against which it was difficult to defend. But fuck them! I’ll write the details later,”
– the politician wrote on social media.
Who is Ilya Ponomarev?
Ilya Vladimirovich Ponomarev is a Russian politician, entrepreneur and former member of the State Duma of Russia. He was born on 6 August 1975 in Moscow. Ponomarev graduated from the Russian State Social University and worked for Schlumberger and Yukos. His political career has included membership in various parties, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Left Front and the A Just Russia party.
Ponomaryov became known for his opposition activities in Russia. He was the only member of the State Duma to vote against the annexation of Crimea in 2014. This led to his persecution in Russia and he was forced to leave the country in 2014. In 2015, the State Duma stripped him of his parliamentary immunity, and in 2016, it prematurely terminated his parliamentary powers.
After leaving Russia, Ponomarev continued his political activities abroad. In 2019, he was granted Ukrainian citizenship by the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. In Ukraine, Ponomarev continues his opposition activities against the Russian government. He initiated the “Congress of People’s Deputies from Russia” and participated in the Forum of Free Peoples of Post-Soviet Countries.
In 2022, Ponomarev attracted attention by issuing a statement on behalf of the National Republican Army and signing the “Declaration of the Russian Armed Opposition” with the Freedom of Russia Legion.
Ponomarev speaks Ukrainian and is an active critic of the Russian government’s policies. His position on Crimea has evolved: initially, he opposed the annexation, and later he spoke in favour of a referendum on the peninsula after the withdrawal of Russian troops.
