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Donetsk social, economic course to remain unchanged after leader’s death — interim head

"All social guarantees will be fulfilled," Dmitry Trapeznikov said

Interim DPR head Dmitry Trapeznikov Valentin Sprinchak/TASS

Interim DPR head Dmitry Trapeznikov

© Valentin Sprinchak/TASS

DONETSK, September 1. /TASS/. The government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) operates in normal regime, and its social and economic course will remain unchanged after the leader’s death, interim DPR head Dmitry Trapeznikov said.

"All executive and legislative bodies work in normal regime. All social guarantees will be fulfilled. The republic operates in normal regime," the Donetsk News Agency quoted Trapeznikov as saying.

In his address to the republic’s residents, released later in the day, Trapeznikov assured that all reforms in the republic will continue.

"Taking the post of acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, I personally guarantee that there will be no setbacks. All state services will operate in normal regime. All social guarantees - pensions, social benefits and so on - will be paid as before," he said.

"I personally guarantee that every promise, made by Alexander Zakharchenko to the people of the Donetsk People’s Republic will be fulfilled. All existing programs to raise the quality of the people’s lives will continue," the official added. "On top of that, large-scale programs to re-launch the industry of Donbass and restore the economic potential of our country will also be preserved. We will not swerve from the chosen course, no matter how hard the enemy tries to intimidate us and to lead us astray."

"The republic’s external policy, aimed at integration with the Russian Federation and eventually at joining Russia will also remain unchanged," Trapeznikov said.

Alexander Zakharchenko, who had been Prime Minister of the DPR since 2014, died in an explosion in downtown Donetsk on Friday. He was 42 years old. The blast left two people dead and nine injured, including DPR minister of taxes and duties, Alexander Timofeyev, and the head of a local youth organization, Natalya Volkova. DPR Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Trapeznikov was appointed acting head of the republic.

DPR law enforcement agencies have already detained several suspects in the blast, who confirmed the Kiev government’s involvement, the DPR interim head said. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) earlier denied any role in the blast.

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