Donetsk rebels declare 'successor state' to Ukraine

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic declared on Tuesday the creation of a new entity "Malorossiya" (Little Russia) as a "successor" state to Ukraine.

"We, representatives of the regions of former Ukraine, with the exception of the Crimea, declare the establishment of a new state, which is the successor state to Ukraine," Alexander Zakharchenko was quoted as saying by the Interfax Ukraine news agency.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict in its eastern regions since March 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The fighting with separatists in the Donbass area has led to more than 10,000 deaths, according to the UN.

Zakharchenko said the new state will have as its ‘capital’ Donetsk. Kiev -- Ukraine’s current capital – would, for the rebels, remain as a historical and cultural center without the status of a capital city.

The separatist leader also said it would be necessary to introduce a state of emergency in the country for three years, according to Interfax.