ALEXANDER ZAKHARCHENKO

Alexander Zakharchenko was declared the winner of a recent unrecognized election in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic.  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko denounced the November 2, 2014 “elections” in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics as an “electoral farce” and stated that they violated the September 5, 2014 Minsk Accord.  Prior to claiming the position of prime minister, Zakharchenko was a commander in the insurgency against the government of Ukraine.  He is being designated because he is responsible for actions that threaten the territorial integrity of Ukraine, has acted on behalf of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, and is a leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic.