Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Ponomarev (Russian: Вячеслав Владимирович Пономарёв; born 2 May 1965, in Sloviansk, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) is a former owner of a soap production company[1] who in 2014 briefly achieved prominence as the self-proclaimed mayor of the city of Sloviansk, at that time a focal point at the beginning the 2014 War in Donbas.
Ponomarev held the position of 'people's mayor' for around two months, before his arrest, and dismissal. Following the separatists' retreat from Sloviansk, Ponomarev relocated to Moscow, and has since retreated from public life.
In May 2014, Ponomarev stated that he commanded around 2,500 men in the vicinity of Sloviansk.[1] He is a veteran of the Soviet–Afghan War and served in a "special operations unit" of the Arctic-based Northern Fleet.
His men held the elected mayor of Sloviansk, Nelya Shtepa, in captivity, though Ponomarev said that his government was protecting her from Ukrainian law enforcement after the Security Service of Ukraine opened a case against her for separatism.[5][2] He also stated that there was conflict between him and Shtepa, in which she acted "incorrectly". In an interview to Gazeta.ru, Ponomaryov said that she was given protection
On the direction of Ponomarev, his men detained American Vice News journalist Simon Ostrovsky on 20 April,[6] who declared after his release that he had been intimidated and beaten during his detention.[7] According to the journalist, Ponomaryov's men had his photo and were looking for him. According to Ponomaryov, Ostrovsky has dual citizenship and was a spy. In an interview to Gazeta.ru on 23 April, Ponomaryov acknowledged that he had kept Ostrovsky for exchange.[5] Ostrovsky was released only after the intervention of representatives from OSCE and the United States Department of State.[3] Ponomaryov told the media that Ostrovsky was not a hostage, but a 'guest', and that he simply 'accommodated Ostrovsky with lodging'.[3]
Irma Krat - a Euromaidan activist who had arrived in the city to cover the conflict as an activist, and blogger. Krat was later paraded in front of the press.[8]
Ponomarev later declared that kidnapping of people is a retaliation for all his detained "comrades".[3]
Also, according to the Security Service of Ukraine, on 20 April 2014 Ponomaryov received orders from Igor Girkin to dispose of the body of local representative of Horlivka city council Volodymyr Rybak, who had been kidnapped and tortured to death.
Arrest and Dismissal
Ponomarev had a fractious relationship with Igor Girkin / Strelkov, who was in charge of the military operations of the pro-Russia side in Sloviansk. On 10 June 2014, on Girkin / Strelkov's command, Ponomarev was arrested and taken to the headquarters of the Donbass People's Militia in a former SBU building.[9][10][11] With charges relating to misappropriation of civic funds, Ponomarev was dismissed from his duties, and Volodymyr Pavlenko was appointed a mayor of Slovyansk.[11] Ponomarev was then released, and spent the rest of June under house arrest. He was next seen, along with the withdrawing pro-Russian militia, leaving Sloviansk on 5 July 2014.[11]
After 2014
While many of the pro-Russia side headed for Donetsk, Ponomarev is believed to have gone straight to Moscow, where he left public life. As of 2018, he was reported to be working on a building site in Moscow.[12]
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