Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin was born on 9 May 1981 and is a politician from the Donbas region, who is serving as the Head of the Donetsk People's Republic since 2018.
22 Facts About Denis Pushilin
2.
Denis Pushilin holds the position in acting capacity ever since the Russian annexation of the DPR in 2022.
3.
Denis Pushilin had previously served as Chairman of the People's Council, and became the acting head of state and government following the assassination of incumbent Alexander Zakharchenko amidst the conflict in the east Ukraine region.
4.
Denis Pushilin successfully ran for election to a full term in the controversial 2018 elections.
5.
Denis Pushilin was born 9 May 1981 in Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
6.
Denis Pushilin is the son of workers of the Makiivka Metallurgical Factory, Vladimir Denis Pushilin and Valentina Khasanova.
7.
Denis Pushilin graduated in 1998 from Makiivka Lyceum No 1, a school combining secondary and professional education.
8.
From 2002 to 2006, Denis Pushilin worked for a trading firm, Solodkye Zhittya.
9.
Denis Pushilin volunteered for this successor company from 2011 to 2013 and became a key leader.
10.
Denis Pushilin was not shy in promoting involvement with the company.
11.
On 5 April 2014, Denis Pushilin led a rally in Donetsk, identifying himself as deputy to Pavel Gubarev, the "People's Governor" of Donetsk.
12.
Denis Pushilin demanded a referendum, like that of Crimea, on the question independence from the new Ukrainian government in Kyiv.
13.
Denis Pushilin's name has since been added to sanction lists of Australia, Canada, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
14.
On 19 May 2014, Denis Pushilin became the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Donetsk People's Republic, and under the draft constitution adopted on May 15, the new republic's head of state.
15.
Denis Pushilin did not envision the Donetsk People's Republic becoming an independent state but preferred to join the Russian Federation.
16.
Denis Pushilin survived two assassination attempts, both occurring within a week on the 7th and 12th of June 2014.
17.
Denis Pushilin was in Moscow on those dates, as was widely reported at the time.
18.
Denis Pushilin resigned from his post of the Chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic in July 2014.
19.
From 2014 to 2018, Denis Pushilin officially represented the DPR at the Trilateral Contact Group and the Minsk II agreements.
20.
On 6 December 2021 Denis Pushilin became a member of the Russian ruling party United Russia.
21.
On 21 February 2022, Denis Pushilin signed an agreement for friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance between the Donetsk People's Republic and the Russian Federation.
22.
In September 2022, Denis Pushilin suggested coordinating a joint referendum with Luhansk People's Republic leader Leonid Pasechnik on the question of joining the Russian Federation.