Metalist, Luhansk Raion, Luhansk Oblast

Metalist (Ukrainian: Металіст) is a rural settlement in Luhansk urban hromada, Luhansk Raion, Luhansk Oblast (region), Ukraine. Population 2197 people (2001); the village was incorporated in 1932.

On June 17, 2014, a camera crew of Russian state television came under mortar fire at a checkpoint in the vicinity of Metalist. While sound engineer Anton Voloshin (1987-2014) died on the spot, special correspondent Igor Kornelyuk (1977-2014) was severely wounded dying later in hospital. Cameraman Viktor Denisov survived the attack unharmed.[1][2]

On June 18, 2014, the Ukrainian female army aviator Nadiya Savchenko was captured near the village of Metalist by rebels of the Donbass People's Militia, an armed pro-Russian militant group that declared allegiance to the self-declared People's Republic of Luhansk.[3] Savchenko was later handed over to Russia, charged and convicted for the killing of two Russian journalists during the 2014 insurgency in Donbass (she was released in a prison swap in May 2016).[4][5] On July 2, 2014, heavy fighting was reported in and near here.

References

  1. ^ Zwei russische Journalisten nahe Luhansk getötet, zeit.de, 17 Jun 2014 (in German)
  2. ^ Russischer Journalist bei Gefechten getötet, spiegel.de, 17.06.2014 (in German)
  3. ^ Мать пилота Надежды Савченко: Моя дочь в плену, боюсь, ее держат на наркотиках! Komsomoskaya Pravda, July 1, 2014.
  4. ^ Russia Charges Ukrainian Pilot Savchenko Over Journalists' Deaths, NBC News (9 July 2014)
  5. ^ "Ukraine pilot Nadiya Savchenko 'has arrived in Kyiv' in prisoner swap with Russia". euronews. May 25, 2016.

48°37′31″N 39°16′30″E / 48.62528°N 39.27500°E / 48.62528; 39.27500