AUTHORITIES in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said yesterday that an anti-fascist resistance leader had been assassinated at home by Ukrainian agents.

The DPR Defence Ministry said Spart battalion commander Arsen Pavlov, known as “Motorola,” was killed on Sunday by a bomb planted in the lift of his block of flats.

“According to preliminary information, Motorola was killed as a result of a terrorist operation of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group,” the ministry said.

“Upon returning home, a remote-detonated explosive device was set off in the lift.”

Russian-born Mr Pavlov was one of the best-known Donbass resistance leaders. He volunteered to fight against the Kiev coup regime’s far-right militias in 2014.

His Sparta battalion fought in the Battle of Ilovaisk and Second Battle of Donetsk airport.

The Kiev Post released a recording last year which purportedly captures Mr Pavlov admitting that he had killed 15 prisoners of war.

Ukraine has still has not adopted an amnesty law for for anti-fascist guerillas as required by the 2015 Minsk peace accords, using such allegations of war crimes as justification.

Mr Pavlov’s death was the latest of several killings of militia leaders over the past year which the Donbass governments have blamed on Kiev’s assassins.

He had survived a previous assassination attempt on June 24, when a car bomb exploded as he left a hospital.

DPR Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko said at the time: “To do this in the vicinity of a hospital, where women and children were walking, this crime is beyond all measure.”