The Kremlin warned on Saturday that the assassination of east Ukraine's main separatist leader was a provocation that would undermine the long-stalled Western-brokered peace deal and fuel tensions in the smouldering conflict.

Alexander Zakharchenko, the 42-year-old chief of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, was killed in a bombing at a cafe in Donetsk in broad daylight Friday, becoming the four-year conflict's most prominent victim from the Moscow-backed side.

His bodyguard was also killed and 12 more people were injured.

Moscow and rebel authorities have pointed the finger at Kiev, while Ukraine links the bombing to internal feuding and Russia's desire to control the territory.

Observers have expressed fears that the high-profile killing could fan the flames of a conflict that has been half-forgotten by the West amid crises elsewhere.

Officials led by President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the former mine electrician's murder would further derail the Ukraine peace deal brokered by Germany and France in the Belarussian capital Minsk in 2015.

"This is no doubt a provocation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian reporters.

"Zakharchenko's death will certainly lead to increased tensions in the region" and undermine conditions for the "start of the implementation" of the so-called Minsk agreements.

Zakharchenko was a co-signee of the peace agreement, along with fellow rebel Igor Plotnitsky, the chief of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, who was deposed in late 2017.

Germany and France have sought in recent months to revive the stalled peace process in a bid to end a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 since April 2014.

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov also said Saturday that Zakharchenko's killing derailed the Minsk deal and ruled out any meetings with France, Germany and Ukraine to discuss the crisis in the so-called Normandy Format.

"This is a serious situation that has to be analysed," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

"What happened today puts a big question mark over the entire process," added Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking in televised remarks late Friday.

Putin on Friday swiftly sent condolences to Zakharchenko's family and residents of rebel-controlled Ukraine and seemed to imply that Kiev may be behind the murder.

"Those who have chosen the path of terror, violence and intimidation do not want to look for a peaceful, political settlement of the conflict, do not want to have genuine dialogue with residents of the southeast," Putin was quoted as saying by the Kremlin.

In east Ukraine, senior separatist commander Eduard Basurin claimed that Kiev planned to launch an offensive in mid-September, adding separatist troops had been put on high alert. Kiev has denied any such plans.

Rebel authorities declared a three-day period of mourning and delayed the start of a new school year until Tuesday.

The acting head of the region, Dmitry Trapeznikov, told reporters late Friday that local authorities had detained several suspects and they helped confirm that the blast was "an act of sabotage by Ukraine".

People in Donetsk openly wept at the news of Zakharchenko's death.

"It is a tragedy for the entire Donbass," said Donetsk resident, Alexander Grigoryev, 61, referring to war-torn east Ukraine.

"It's such a pity. He could have been the leader of our country for a very long time," he said.

Zakharchenko -- who briefly worked as a mine electrician before going into business connected to the industry -- had led Russian-backed insurgents in the rebel region for the last four years.

He became the rebel prime minister in August 2014, taking over from a series of Russians who had held the post.

In November 2014, he was elected the first president of the Donetsk republic, facing no real opposition.

Zakharchenko, who liked to be seen wearing khaki military fatigues, sold his business to finance the rebels and took part in the storming of the Donetsk regional administration building that launched the conflict in 2014. </s> The assassination of the Donetsk People’s Republic’s leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko is intended to undermine the ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine and make European-backed peace talks “impossible,” Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said.

“It is a blatant provocation aimed at undermining the implementation of the Minsk Agreement in eastern Ukraine,” Lavrov told reporters on Saturday.

Zakharchenko was killed on Friday when an explosive device detonated at a cafe in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) capital, Donetsk. His bodyguard was also killed in the blast, and 11 people were injured.

READ MORE: Leader of self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic killed in E. Ukraine blast

“Given the current situation, it’s impossible to talk about the nearest meetings in the Normandy format like many of our European partners would have wanted,” Lavrov said. “It is a serious situation that must be analyzed. We are doing it right now.”

The Normandy format, also known as the Normandy Four, is a contact group comprising France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia. The group is tasked with negotiating a peace settlement in eastern Ukraine.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> Tens of thousands of mourners paid their respects to Ukrainian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko in the rebel-stronghold of Donetsk on Friday.

Zakharchenko, the 42-year-old chief of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, was killed in a bomb attack at a Donetsk cafe on Friday, becoming the four-year conflict's most high-profile killing in the Moscow-backed side.

Read more: Alexander Zakharchenko: The latest Ukrainian rebel leader to face an abrupt death

His bodyguard also died during the attack and 12 people were injured.

A representative of the local authorities estimated that about 100,000 people came to pay their respects, while a correspondent from French news agency AFP said the number was closer to 30,000.

Tens of thousands of people lined up to pay their respects to Ukrainian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko

Huge billboards could be seen the city centre emblazoned with pictures of Zakharchenko and his quotes, such as: "All of us have one Motherland — Russia."

In a statement published by the Donetsk republic's official news agency, Russian President Putin's aide Vladislav Surkov described Zakharchenko as a "brother."

"You are a great guy, a true hero and it's a huge honor to be your friend," said Surkov, calling Zakharchenko Sasha, a diminutive form of his first name.

'We will not accept it '

Moscow and separatist leaders said Kiev was behind the assassination, while Ukraine said the bombing was linked to internal feuding and Russia's desire to control the territory.

"We will never forget this tragedy, we will never forgive," said one mourner, Sergei Kapustin, 35.

Local Ukrainian parliamentary leader and influential separatist Denis Pushilin again blamed Ukraine for Friday's bomb attack.

"We will not accept it and will continue the fight with all available means," said Pushilin.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have said the high-profile murder was a provocation and would derail the long-stalled, Western-brokered peace process.

law/rc (AFP, dpa) </s> MOSCOW - The Kremlin warned Saturday that the assassination of east Ukraine's top separatist leader was a provocation that would undermine the long-stalled, Western-brokered peace deal and fuel tensions in the smouldering conflict.

Alexander Zakharchenko, the 42-year-old chief of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, was killed in a bombing at a Donetsk cafe in broad daylight Friday, becoming the four-year conflict's most prominent victim from the Moscow-backed side. His bodyguard also died and 12 more people were injured. Moscow and rebel authorities have pointed the finger at Kiev while Ukraine links the bombing to internal feuding and Russia's desire to control the territory.

Officials led by President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the former electrician's murder would further derail the Ukraine peace deal brokered by Germany and France in the Belarussian capital Minsk in 2015.

"This is no doubt a provocation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"Zakharchenko's death will certainly lead to increased tensions in the region" and undermine conditions for the "start of the implementation" of the so-called Minsk agreements.

Zakharchenko was a co-signee of the peace agreement, along with fellow rebel Igor Plotnitsky, the chief of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, who was deposed in late 2017.

Germany and France have sought in recent months to revive the stalled peace process in a bid to end a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 since April 2014.

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov ruled out any meetings with France, Germany and Ukraine to discuss the crisis following the bombing.

"This is a serious situation that has to be analysed," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

There was no immediate reaction from Berlin or Paris.

A spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry told AFP it would not be providing a comment "at this stage".

Meanwhile, US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker told The Guardian that Washington could increase arms supplies to Kiev to buttress the country's naval and air defence forces.

Volker made clear that the Trump administration was "absolutely" prepared to go further in supplying weaponry to Ukraine than anti-tank missiles it delivered in April, The Guardian said.

Putin on Friday swiftly sent condolences and seemed to imply that Kiev may be behind the murder.

"Those who have chosen the path of terror, violence and intimidation do not want to look for a peaceful, political settlement of the conflict, do not want to have genuine dialogue with residents of the southeast," Putin said.

But some in Ukraine and Russia allege Moscow could be behind Zakharchenko's demise.

"A systematic purge is under way of all those who helped bring Russian troops into the Donbass and helped create the pseudo-people's republics," the head of Ukraine's security service Vasyl Grytsak said, referring to war-torn eastern Ukraine.

Other top figures who have been killed outside the battlefield include commanders Alexei Mozgovoy and Arsen Pavlov better known by his nom de guerre Motorola.

In east Ukraine, senior separatist commander Eduard Basurin claimed Kiev planned to launch an offensive in mid-September, adding separatist troops had been put on high alert. Kiev has denied any such plans.

Rebel authorities in Donetsk declared a three-day period of mourning and delayed the start of a new school year until Tuesday.

The acting head of the region, Dmitry Trapeznikov, said authorities had detained several suspects and they helped confirm that the blast was "an act of sabotage by Ukraine".

People in Donetsk openly wept at the news of Zakharchenko's death.

"It is a tragedy for the entire Donbass," said Donetsk resident, Alexander Grigoryev, 61.

"It's such a pity. He could have been the leader of our country for a very long time," he said.

Zakharchenko had led Russian-backed insurgents in the rebel region for the last four years.

In November 2014, he was elected the first president of the Donetsk republic, facing no real opposition.

Zakharchenko, who liked to be seen wearing khaki military fatigues, sold his business to finance the rebels and took part in the storming of the Donetsk regional administration building that launched the conflict in 2014. </s> Moscow is analyzing the assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko, the commander of pro-Russian separatists and head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

The deadly Friday blast was "an open provocation, aimed at disrupting the fulfillment of the Minsk Accords," Lavrov told reporters, referring to the 2015 peace deal.

"Although, truth be told, the Ukrainian authorities were not fulfilling them anyway," Lavrov added.

While the peace process has pretty much stalled in recent months, the Minsk accords still serve as a roadmap for solving the conflict. Russia and Ukraine agreed on the treaty brokered by France and Germany, in what became known as the "Normandy format."

On Saturday, Lavrov said that Zakharchenko's assassination made it "impossible" to talk about such meetings for the time being, "despite many of our European partners wanting it."

Previously, Moscow said it had "all reasons to believe" Kyiv was behind the attack. Separatist leaders also announced that they have captured "Ukrainian operatives" following the blast in a coffee shop in downtown Donetsk.

Zakharchenko and one more person were killed in the blast, with several more injured, including the finance head of the so-called Donetsk Republic.

The entity has declared a three-day mourning period for the 42-year-old leader. Zakharchenko's deputy Dmitry Trapeznikov was named the acting president. </s> The area around the cafe is still cordoned off.

The residents of Russia's Crimea are also honoring Zakharchenko's memory by laying flowers next to his portraits in Simferopol's central square, where around 300 people have gathered for a ceremony to mourn his passing.

A memorial service was also held in the capital of another self-proclaimed republic, the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). The service was attended by the LPR's acting head, Leonid Pasechnik, the republic's Foreign Affairs Minister, Vladislav Deinego, and a number of other ministers and senior officials.

READ MORE: Life and Death of Assassinated DPR Head Alexander Zakharchenko

Pasechnik said that he would not step down despite Zakharchenko's assassination and would fight until the end for the Donbass region.

"I am not afraid [to act as the LPR's head] because I have made my choice. There is no going back, only forward. We will fight to the end, to the last drop of our blood for our 'Russian world,' for our Donbass," Pasechnik told journalists.

Deinego, in turn, noted that the two republics would remain committed to the Minsk agreements.

"There is no room for changes here. He made the arrangements, not as Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko, he signed the document [the Minsk agreements] on the part of the republic," Deinego said adding that the agreements were the only existing peaceful means to settle the conflict.

Earlier in the day, acting head of DPR Dmitry Trapeznikov vowed to implement all the promises made by Zakharchenko. Trapeznikov was later presented to DPR lawmakers at an emergency meeting of the republic's parliament. Lawmakers commemorated Zakharchenko with a moment of silence.

DPR Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Timofeev, who accompanied Zakharchenko to the cafe, sustained severe injuries as a result of the explosion. He is currently in a hospital in a moderately severe condition. According to the DPR Emergencies Ministry, two people were killed and 11 others were injured due to the blast.

READ MORE: US May Have Taken Part in Zakharchenko Assassination — DPR Official

The Russian Foreign Ministry and DPR officials said that the Ukrainian authorities had orchestrated the assassination, however, the Ukrainian Security Service has said it was not involved in the murder.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences over the death of Zakharchenko. The Russian president stated he hoped that the organizers and perpetrators of the attack would be found and punished. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that the DPR leader's assassination was a provocation aimed at hindering implementation of the Minsk agreements to settle the conflict in Donbass.

The DPR and the LPR have been involved in an armed conflict with Kiev since 2014 when Donbass refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new government that came to power after then-president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted. In February 2015, the sides signed the Minsk peace agreements, however, both parties have repeatedly accused each other of ceasefire violations. </s> MOSCOW: Russian foreign minister said on Saturday talks on Ukraine with leaders from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, known as the Normandy format, were impossible after the killing of a rebel leader in eastern Ukraine, Interfax agency reported.

"It is impossible to talks about upcoming meetings in the Normandy format as many of our European partners wanted," Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

"This is a serious situation that needs to be analysed," Lavrov said, referring to the killing of Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine who died in an explosion on Friday. </s> BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - The killing of a pro-Russian separatist leader in eastern Ukraine must not undermine talks to resolve the conflict, said France and Germany, which are joint sponsors of a peace process along with Russia and Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday further four-way Ukraine talks, known as the Normandy format, were impossible after Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, died in an explosion at a cafe on Friday.

The Normandy talks led to a ceasefire agreement signed in the Belarus capital Minsk, which ended large-scale fighting in 2015, although deadly exchanges still take place across the truce line dividing government forces from separatists.

France and Germany both said on Monday that the killing of Zakharchenko made the peace process more urgent.

“The latest developments in Eastern Ukraine do not call into question the obligations of the parties under the Minsk agreements, nor the relevance of the Normandy format meetings between Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine,” a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. “It is precisely when tensions arise that negotiations must be made in good faith.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government spokesman Steffen Seibert said: “It’s of paramount importance that an escalation is avoided now.”

The death of Zakharchenko should not derail the peace process and Germany would stick to the four-way talks, Seibert said.

Russian-backed rebels threw off Ukrainian central rule in an armed uprising after pro-Western leaders opposed by Moscow came to power in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in 2014.

Ukraine and Western countries say the rebels were organised, armed and funded by Moscow, and assisted by Russian ground troops. Moscow denies intervening. </s> Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Ukraine's rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Sunday to pay their final respects to separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko, while an aide to the Russian president praised him as a "brother" and a "hero".

Throngs of admirers -- many clutching flowers and in tears -- formed a line to view the flag-draped casket of the 42-year-old chief of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, whose body was lying in state in a theatre.

Zakharchenko was killed in a bombing at a Donetsk cafe on Friday, becoming the four-year conflict's most prominent victim from the Moscow-backed side.

His bodyguard also died and 12 more people were injured.

In a statement carried by the Donetsk republic's official news agency, Russian President Putin's aide Vladislav Surkov called the separatist a "brother".

"You are a cool guy, a true hero and it's a huge honour to be your friend," said Surkov, calling Zakharchenko Sasha, a diminutive form of his first name.

A representative of the local authorities estimated the turnout at around 100,000 people, while an AFP correspondent said more than 30,000 turned up.

Armed men in fatigues cordoned off the city centre and public transport was temporarily suspended.

Huge billboards erected in the city centre were plastered with pictures of Zakharchenko and his quotes. "All of us have one Motherland -- Russia", read one.

The leader of Georgia's breakaway statelet, South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, and Alexander Borodai, a Russian journalist and former prime minister of the Donetsk republic, were in attendance.

Many mourners blamed Ukraine for the bombing.

"We will never forget this tragedy, we will never forgive," said Sergei Kapustin, 35.

Moscow and rebel authorities have said Kiev was behind the assassination, while Ukraine links the bombing to internal feuding and Russia's desire to control the territory.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have said the high-profile murder was a provocation and would derail the long-stalled, Western-brokered peace process.

More than 10,000 people have been killed since the rebel insurgency broke out in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border. Moscow has denied the claims despite evidence to the contrary.
Tens of thousands of people attend the funeral of Alexander Zakharchenko. Yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the murder was a provocation and that it would derail the stalled Normandy format peace process.