Carrying plastic bags stuffed with cuddly toys, the rebel leader enters an apartment to greet its new occupants — a young family whose former home had supposedly fallen into disrepair. Aleksandr Zakharchenko, who governs the separatist-held territories of Donetsk oblast in eastern Ukraine, hands over the gifts, plus keys and deeds to the simple apartment. He walks around, nodding in approval at the pristine appliances and furnishings.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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A woman walks under a billboard featuring a picture of the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) Alexander Zakharchenko (C) and reading: "We are grateful to the defenders of the fatherland" in Donetsk on March 18, 2015.
