In 2017, he was found dead inside of his home in Moscow, Russia, under disputed circumstances; the exact cause of his death remains undetermined.

Little is known about Bolotov's life prior to 2014; in a video of him voting in a local referendum, he presents a Ukrainian passport which indicates that he was born in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast on 13 February 1970.

On May 13, 2014, Bolotov survived an assassination attempt as assailants fired automatic weapons towards his car, wounding the militant leader.

[5] Bolotov was then briefly captured by the Ukrainian army on May 17 after he attempted to re-enter Luhansk following his having received treatment for his injury at a hospital in Russia.

[11] Though more detailed report of the local police office claimed that there were no obvious signs of acute heart failure and only small atherosclerotic plaques were identified instead,[12] it was known that before death he was complaining to his wife about his health deterioration, which happened right after drinking a cup of coffee at the business meeting in company with two men he allegedly knew,[13] it became later known that Bolotov met with ex-speaker of the People's council of the LNR Alexey Karyakin and Valery Alexandrovich as he had said and added also that the meeting was appointed by request of Bolotov himself.