Elman Pashayev, a former lawyer who sustained injuries about a month ago, has returned to the front lines and is said to be alongside Alexei Blinovsky, the husband of Elena Blinovskaya, sometimes referred to in media as the marathon queen. Pashayev spoke with reporters from socialbites.ca to recount his recent movements and current status.
According to his account, he returned to the front long ago and did not stay away. He described the SVO, the ongoing military operation in Ukraine, as something that is recovering steadily. He also noted that Blinovsky is at the front near the same area, placing them in the Georgievskoe direction, within the Donetsk People’s Republic area. This places their position between Marinka and Kurakhovo, a region commonly referenced in defense briefings as part of the front line near Maryinka, despite differing official labels from the Russian Ministry of Defense in some reports.
Earlier in the year, there were public statements from Pashayev indicating two years of service in a special military operation zone inside Ukraine. In late April, media outlets reported that a former lawyer had been injured in a bombing near Ugledar in the Donetsk region and later said his unit had been struck by a drone, an event that drew attention to the risks faced by personnel in contested zones.
On July 15, reports circulated that Pashayev had been injured again when a vehicle in his column was fired upon in the Marinka area. Media outlets referenced Life and Shot in their coverage, noting a diagnosis that included a closed head injury, a concussion, and bruising to the chest and thoracic spine, underscoring the continuing dangers in front-line areas.
Pashayev is perhaps best known to the public for representing actor Mikhail Efremov in the aftermath of a high-profile drunken-driving incident on Moscow’s Garden Ring. In September 2020, he lost his lawyer status after publicly commenting on that case. This marked the fourth time he had had his status contested in his professional career. He reported being reinstated in the North Ossetian Bar Association in September 2022, though the Federal Chamber of Lawyers announced the termination of his status in October of that year.
In a separate thread of events, the Investigative Committee of Russia completed a preliminary inquiry into allegations of tax evasion and money laundering concerning Elena Blinovskaya and her husband, Alexei. Within weeks, reports indicated that Blinovsky had signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and had joined the Northern Military District. The media noted that he had previously served in the same unit as the former lawyer Pashayev, highlighting how intertwined personal and professional networks can become in this context.
Further developments emerged when, on June 28, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs placed Blinovsky on a wanted list under an article of the Criminal Code due to his failure to appear before investigators to acquaint himself with the criminal case. Pashayev had previously responded to accusations that he avoided joining the special military operation, reinforcing the narrative of contested participation and accountability among those connected with the case.
Across these overlapping stories, the individuals involved have moved through legal, military, and media spheres, with ongoing questions about their roles and the consequences they face. Observers tracking the situation note that the movements of Pashayev and Blinovsky illustrate how personal histories can intersect with front-line realities, and how public attention continues to shape the discourse around these events. The information reflects a mix of court records, defense briefings, and reporting from various outlets, each presenting a different angle on what is happening on the ground and how these figures are perceived by the public.