Iran Press/Europe: "Zakharchenko’s death showed that Kiev had decided to engage in a “bloody fight” and had passed up on its promises of seeking peace", Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added.
"In Donetsk, head of the Donetsk People's Republic Zakharchenko was killed in a terrorist act. There are all grounds to believe that the Kyiv regime is behind his murder, as it repeatedly used similar methods to eliminate dissidents and opponents," the Russian TASS agency quoted Zakharova as saying.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman went on to say that "instead of fulfilling the Minsk accords" and searching for ways to resolve what she called an "internal conflict," the "Kyiv war party implements the terror scenario, exacerbating the already difficult situation in the region."
Officials of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have confirmed that the republic’s leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, was killed in a blast that occurred at a local restaurant.
DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko was killed on August 31 in a bomb explosion at the restaurant Separ in central Donetsk.
According to an adviser to the DPR president, the bomb had deliberately been planted in the restaurant, which was frequented by the slain leader.
Alexander Kazakov, an adviser to the DPR president, announced that the suspects behind the assassination have already been detained, however their identities were not revealed in the statement.
The adviser also added that a state of emergency has been introduced in the DPR and its borders have been closed.
Deputy Defense Minister and defense spokesman of Donetsk People's Republic Eduard Basurin accused Ukrainian Security Services of organizing the assassination and added that the US "directly partook in it."
He also addressed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, saying that his plans to destabilize the DPR won't work, as they "have everything under control."
A 2015 peace agreement signed in Minsk has helped reduce hostilities in eastern Ukraine, but clashes continue.
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