He voted in favour of resolution No. 58243-8 “On the appeal of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation To the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin on the need to recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic” and therefore supported and implemented actions and policies which undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, and further destabilised Ukraine.
Former so-called “Prime Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic”, as such responsible for the separatist “governmental” activities of the so-called “government of the Donetsk People’s Republic” (e.g. on 8 July 2014 stated “our military is conducting a special operation against the Ukrainian ‘fascists’”), signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on “Novorossiya union”. Remains active in supporting separatist actions or policies; heads the “Union of Donbas volunteers”.