Self-proclaimed republics deny involvement in minister assault
MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - The leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have claimed they were not involved in the attempted murder of the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov.
"Of course, we have nothing to do with it," the DPR first deputy prime minister, Andriy Purgin, told Interfax on Wednesday.
He has not ruled out that the murder bid was a fake. "It is quite likely that it was staged. There are now quite many people with unhealthy thoughts and people with guns," he said.
For their part, militiamen in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) also told Interfax that they were not involved. "These are not our methods, we did not assault anyone," a source said.
Earlier on Wednesday the Ukrainian Interior Ministry confirmed there was an attempt on Avakov's life. "Yes, we can confirm the information that the assault took place. But for now we cannot disclose whether there were any arrests and other details," the ministry's spokeswoman, Larysa Volkova, told Interfax, adding that more details will be announced at a briefing on July 17.
The spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Lysenko, could not give any details of the incident either. "I have no details about the possible assault on Avakov or attempt his life," Lysenko said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Ukrainian media reported earlier that that Avakov was assaulted in the security operation zone. The interior minister was not hurt. There has been no formal confirmation of these reports.
