A Russian drone flew into the house of a fugitive Russian oppositionist: who is Ilya Ponomarev

On the night of August 1, Russia attacked Kyiv region with attack drones. As the head of the regional administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, said, the air defense forces shot down the drones, but their debris fell on private houses.

According to the official, as a result of falling debris, two private houses were damaged and two people, a man and a woman, were injured.

The man turned out to be a fugitive Russian oppositionist who settled in Kyiv, Ilya Ponomarev.

According to a number of mass media, the Russians specifically targeted his house in the Kyiv region. Ponomaryev himself claims that this is the fifth attempt on his life by the Russians.

Ilya Volodymyrovych Ponomaryov is a Russian politician, entrepreneur and former deputy of the State Duma of Russia. He was born on August 6, 1975 in Moscow. Ponomaryov was educated at the Russian State Social University and worked at Schlumberger and Yukos. His political career included membership in various parties, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Left Front, and the Just Russia party.

Ponomaryov became known for his opposition activities in Russia. He was the only member of the State Duma who voted 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 deprived him of parliamentary immunity, and in 2016 prematurely terminated his parliamentary powers.

After leaving Russia, Ponomarev continued his political activities abroad. In 2019, he received Ukrainian citizenship from the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. In Ukraine, Ponomaryov continues his oppositional activities against the Russian government.

In 2022, Ponomariov attracted attention by publishing a statement on behalf of the “National Republican Army” and also by signing the “Declaration of the Russian Armed Opposition” together with the “Freedom of Russia” legion.

Ponomaryov speaks Ukrainian and actively criticizes the policy of the Russian government. His position on Crimea evolved: at first he opposed the annexation, and later he spoke in favor of holding a referendum on the peninsula after the withdrawal of Russian troops.