Written by Nikolaus von Twickel Summary Rumours of arrests and sackings continued to shake the Donetsk People’s Republic while separatist leader Zakharchenko did not appear much in public. A “Tribunal” in Luhansk, which on June 22 handed lifelong sentences to...

Written by Nikolaus von Twickel Summary The reappointment of Vladislav Surkov, thought to be Moscow’s master of the separatists, failed to make headlines in the “People’s Republics”. The recently revived “Normandy Format” talks also did not result in a new...

Written by Nikolaus von Twickel Summary In the Donetsk „People’s Republic“ two aides to separatist MPs are believed to have been abducted by “DNR” police on espionage charges, in what appears to be an internal power struggle, prompting their party...

Written by Nikolaus von Twickel Summary The lingering speculation about the ouster of Russia’s Donbass point man Vladislav Surkov has in turn triggered fresh speculation about a possible ouster of Donetsk separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko. In this politically charged atmosphere,...