Vyacheslav Ponomaryov has been removed from the office of the "people's mayor" of Slovyansk, the defense minister for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Igor Strelkov, announced on June 10.
“The so-called people’s mayor Ponomaryov has been removed from office for conducting an activity incompatible with the goals and objectives of the civilian administration. I cannot say more for now,” Strelkov wrote on his Facebook page.
According to some reports, Ponomaryov has been arrested. For instance, DPR first deputy prime minister Andriy Purhin told Interfax: “I, too, have received information about his arrest, this information is not first-hand, I only know that he has been arrested. The reasons for such a decision have not been told to me yet.”
Earlier on Tuesday a spokesperson for the DPR dismissed the reports about Ponomariov’s arrest. “The information about Viacheslav’s arrest is a lie. At this moment he is at a meeting,” the DPR spokesperson told Interfax on June 10.
Earlier on Tuesday several media outlets said Ponomariov had been relieved of his duties as the “people’s mayor” of Slovyansk. Later reports, citing a militia representative, said he was arrested.
