DONETSK, February 10. /TASS/. Investigative agencies of the self-proclaimed unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have proved collaboration between the Ukrainian secret services and a number of individuals involved in the assassination of Mikhail Tolstykh, the commander of the Somalia battalion of the Donbass self-defense guard who was more broadly known under the nick Givi, the DPR operational command said on Thursday.

The Donetsk News Agency quoted the command as saying two versions of Givi’s death were under consideration at the moment. Number one suggested the use of a Shmel antipersonnel flamethrower and the second, demolition of an explosive.

Eduard Basurin, the official spokesman for the DPR operational command said earlier he was confident Givi’s assassination had been steered by the Ukrainian secret services. He also said he did not rule out a possible involvement of Zoryan Shkiryak, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister in the operation to eliminate the intrepid commander.

Givi, 36 at the time of his death, was killed on February 8 by a shot from a Shmel antipersonnel flamethrower. He was buried at the same cemetery as another famous commander of the Donbass self-defense forces, Arsen Pavlov (nicked Motorola) who was killed in the night hours of October 16 inside his house in Donetsk. Their graves are located close to each other.

Donetsk republic authorities called a three-day morning in connection with his death.

The Office of the Donetsk republic’s Main Military Prosecutor ordered a criminal investigation of the assassination.