Ukraine: Top rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko killed in Donetsk blast


The head of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk Republic” in eastern Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko, has died in an explosion at a Donetsk coffee shop. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Ukraine was likely behind the bombing.

Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine confirmed that key separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko was killed on Friday, adding that that several “Ukrainian operatives” were detained after the deadly blast.

Zakharchenko served as the president and head of government of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic.” The area is one of the two self-proclaimed rebel-controlled entities on Ukrainian territory, alongside the “Luhansk People’s Republic.”

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Source: DW