Artem Zhoga, the commander of the “Sparta” battalion, has been appointed by Vladimir Putin as his plenipotentiary representative in the Urals Federal District, as announced on the Kremlin’s official website.
Zhoga took over leadership of the “Sparta” battalion in 2022 after his son Vladimir Zhoga passed away earlier that year. The battalion played a role in Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Prior to Artem Zhoga, Vladimir Zhoga had led the battalion since 2016 following the assassination of Arsen Pavlov, also known as “Motorola.” The formation of “Sparta” dates back to 2014 during the conflict in Donbass.
In a shift towards politics, Zhoga joined the ranks of “United Russia” party in 2023. He successfully ran for a seat in Donetsk Oblast’s occupied territories and became a deputy in DPR I convocation’s People’s Council representing “United Russia.” Subsequently elected as chairman of Donetsk People’s Republic’s People’s Council on September 20th. Additionally, he served as co-chair for Putin’s election campaign headquarters during March 2024 elections.
Prior to this appointment, Vladimir Yakushev held this position within Urals Federal District. In September, Yakushev transitioned to become Valentina Matviyenko’s first deputy chairman at Federation Council.
Article from theins.ru