To my regret, I have to say that my most pessimistic predictions that we will be dragged into a bloody, long, draining and highly dangerous mess for … - Igor Girkin

About Igor Girkin

Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin (Russian:И́горь Все́володович Ги́ркин; born 17 December 1970), also known by the alias Igor Ivanovich Strelkov (Russian: И́горь Ива́нович Стрелко́в), is a Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who played a key role in the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and later the war in Donbas as an organizer of militant groups in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Girkin led a group of militants into Ukraine where he participated in the 2014 Siege of Sloviansk. During the battle he increased his influence and ultimately became the de facto military commander of all separatist forces in the Donbas region, which was confirmed by the "prime minister" Alexander Borodai of the DPR who appointed him as official Defense Minister.

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