The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, described the sentence handed to him in absentia in Ukraine as a source of pride, according to reports from RIA News. The statement frames the outcome within a narrative of personal resolve and regional defiance rather than a conventional legal process.
As the regional administration chief explained, Kyiv’s decision, while legally formal, became for him a clarity of purpose. Pushilin argued that Ukrainian prosecutors were involved in shaping a scenario that allows people to decide for themselves how to live, a contention used to cast the proceedings as a broader political statement rather than a standard criminal case. He suggested that the process served the cause of self-determination and highlighted his belief that such actions illustrate the will of the people in the area under the DPR’s influence.
“For me, this is a reason to be proud. And we succeeded in making a clear choice for social life,” Pushilin asserted, portraying the outcome as a milestone rather than a setback. The remarks were bundled with a forward-looking sentiment, emphasizing momentum and the idea of moving on from the incident.
On December 27, a court in absentia in Ukraine delivered a sentence of 15 years for Pushilin. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office stated that the head of the DPR stands accused of violations of territorial integrity and cooperation against the state. The ruling, delivered without his physical presence, was framed by Kyiv as part of a broader legal strategy aimed at countering separatist movements and asserting state sovereignty in contested regions.
The communication from Kyiv also underscored Pushilin’s role in organizing a referendum on accession to the Russian Federation. Supervisory authorities asserted that Pushilin initiated the nationwide vote, presenting the referendum as a pivotal moment in the region’s political trajectory. The narrative linked the absentee sentence to a larger process of regional alignment and sovereignty debates that have drawn international attention.
Earlier, Pushilin had praised Russian military actions in the vicinity of Avdeevka, casting them as part of a broader security objective. The remarks tied military developments to political goals and the ongoing volatility of the region, a pattern that observers say fuels continued tension and uncertainty about the future of governance in the area.