Ekaterina Gubareva

Ukrainian separatist diplomat and politician (born 1983)
Ekaterina Gubareva
Екатерина Губарева
Gubareva in 2015
Deputy Head of the Kherson Military-Civilian Administration
In office
16 June 2022 – 16 November 2022
GovernorVolodymyr Saldo
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk People's Republic
In office
16 May 2014 – 15 August 2014
Preceded byPost established
Succeeded byAlexandru Caraman
Personal details
Born (1983-07-05) 5 July 1983 (age 40)
Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Political partyNew Russia Party
SpousePavel Gubarev
Children3
Alma materDonetsk National Technical University

Ekaterina Yurevna Gubareva (Russian: Екатерина Юрьевна Губарева; Ukrainian: Катерина Юріївна Губарєва; born 5 July 1983) is a Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian activist and political figure.

Gubareva has previously held senior positions in pro-Russian separatist-held territory. She was "Minister of Foreign Affairs" in Russian-occupied Donetsk for the Donetsk People's Republic.[1][2][3] Gubareva was detained, and then dismissed from her last position, as deputy head of the collaborationist Kherson Military-Civilian Administration in Russian-occupied Ukraine.[4][5]

Early life and education

Born on 5 July 1983 in Kakhovka, Gubereva has a degree in computer science from the Donetsk National Technical University.[6][7] Before the war in Donbas, she was known as a local organizer of healthy lifestyle festivals.[8] Gubareva was an amateur artist, and her works were exhibited in a Donetsk gallery.[9]

Separatist activities

Donetsk People's Republic

On 1 March 2014, during anti-Euromaidan protests, at a rally in Donetsk, southeastern part of Ukraine, her husband Pavel Gubarev was chosen as "people's governor" of Donetsk oblast.[citation needed] On 6 March 2014, Gubarev was then arrested[10] and taken by the Security Service of Ukraine to Kyiv.[11] Ekaterina Gubareva then lived with their children in Rostov-on-Don, Russia for some time.

In April 2014, the Donetsk People's Republic was proclaimed within the Donetsk region. Gubareva led its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[12] Gubareva became the organizer of humanitarian convoys (food, medicine, childcare products) for the civilians and fighters of the Donetsk People's Republic. She said: "We don't carry weapons or fighters, and we don't know anything about that side of things."[13] On 16 August 2014, the former vice president of Transnistria, Alexander Karaman, replaced Gubareva in the post of foreign minister of the DPR, for unspecified reasons.[14] She became the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

After an assassination attempt on her husband, Pavel Gubarev, on 13 October 2014,[15] she temporarily led the New Russia Party.[16] Pavel Gubarev formed the Free Donbas movement in 2014.

Elections for a new head were held in the Donetsk People's Republic after the assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko. Pavel Gubarev declared his desire to stand, however would ultimately be blocked from standing after being accused of faking signature on his nomination papers. Incumbent Denis Pushilin would win in these elections, and this effectively marked the end of Pavel Gubarev's political career in the DNR.[17] Ekaterina Gubareva had been set to head the Free Donbas party list for the "elections" of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic of 11 November 2018.,[17] however on 29 September 2018, she was arrested and held in custody by unknown people, and so was unable to attend the party convention that day, with the result that she was excluded from the party list.[17] After this, Gubareva left for Rostov-on-Don.[17]

Sanctions

Gubareva was sanctioned by the UK government in 2014 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War.[18] The European Union has also sanctioned Gubareva. She was banned from entering the European Union and her accounts in European banks were frozen.[19] According to EU officials:

In her capacity of so called "Minister of Foreign Affairs" she is responsible of defending the so called "Donetsk People's Republic", thus undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. In addition, her bank account is used to finance illegal armed separatist groups. In taking on and acting in this capacity she has therefore supported actions and policies which undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.[20]

Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast

On 16 June 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gubareva took office as Chief of Staff and Deputy Head of the Russian-occupation government called "Kherson Military-Civilian Administration" for Digitalization, Communications, Legal Regulation, and Domestic and Foreign Policy.[21] In statements made of a planned referendum to join Russia, she claimed that the Russian Federation was repeating the history of Empress Catherine who developed the "wild fields" following the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774.[22]

Gubareva was briefly reported as having 'disappeared' on 15 November 2022.[23] On 16 November, Russian media reported that Gubareva had been detained by the Russian police in relation to a corruption case involving embezzlement of public funds.[4][5] Gubareva was later released, and dismissed from her position.[24]

Personal life

She is married to Pavel Gubarev. The pair have two sons and a daughter, and live in Rostov-on-Don.[25]

References

  1. ^ "Главой МИДа Донецкой республики стала Екатерина Губарева". ПОЛИТИКУС (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  2. ^ У прокурорши Крыма появился конкурент - Екатерина Губарева (фото) назначена министром иностранных дел Донецкой республики [Prosecutor of Crimea received a competitor, Ekaterina Gubareva who became a foreign minister] Archived 2014-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, Centrasia, 11 April 2014.
  3. ^ New York Times, 11 April 2014, Pro-Russia Ukrainians Are Promised More Power, but Remain Dubious, by Andrew Higgins and Andrew E Kramer.
  4. ^ a b "Замглавы Херсонской области Губареву задержали по уголовному делу". РБК (in Russian). 16 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  5. ^ a b "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  6. ^ "Жена Губарева стала министром Донецкой народной республики". Gazeta.ua. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Radaris: Поиск Екатерина Губарева? Онлайн поисклюдей при помощи номер 1 источника данных для поиска людей. Публичные записи". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  8. ^ В Донецке прошел первый фестиваль «Здорового образа жизни»| In Donetsk, the festival of Healthy lifestyle come place
  9. ^ Артур Гор, Арсений Беркан. "Кем были раньше "вожди" ДНР: Губарев - Дедом Морозом, Пушилин - крупье, а Пономарев гонял машины из России (фото)". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  10. ^ Damien McElroy (6 March 2014). "Pro-Russian leader arrested in Donetsk as Kiev hits back". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Pro-Russian Protest Leader In Eastern Ukraine Said Taken To Kyiv". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Вести.Ru: Екатерина Губарева: юго-восток не отступит от своих требований". vesti.ru. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  13. ^ "The smuggling 'foreign minister' of the 'Donetsk People's Republic'". Telegraph.co.uk. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Donetsk Republic Appoints New Foreign Minister". 16 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  15. ^ Неизвестные обстреляли автомобиль, в котором находился лидер 'Новороссии" Павел Губарев' (in Russian). TASS. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2014-11-10. 'В ночь на 13 октября неизвестные обстреляли автомобиль лидера движения "Новороссия" Павла Губарева. Инцидент произошел на трассе Ростов-на-Дону - Донецк на территории ДНР (провозглашенной Донецкой народной республики)', - сообщили в организации.
  16. ^ "Жена Губарева временно возглавила движение "Новороссия"". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d Kazanskyi, Denys (8 October 2018), "The danger of wanting to be boss, What to expect from "elections" in Donetsk and Luhansk", The Ukrainian Week, retrieved 10 October 2018
  18. ^ "Consolidated list of financial sanctions targets in the UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  19. ^ Thomson-Reuters, Russie-Personnalités et entités sous le coup de nouvelles sanctions de l'UE, by Adrian Croft and Eric Faye, 26 July 2014.
  20. ^ Council Decision 2014/499/CFSP of 25 July 2014 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
  21. ^ [1]/ Official Site of the Kherson Oblast Administration, 16 June 2022
  22. ^ "Замглавы ВГА Херсонской области Губарева назвала референдум о присоединении к России шансом выйти с "дикого поля" - Аргументы Недели". argumenti.ru. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  23. ^ "In Genichesk, the deputy head of the administration of the Kherson region formed by Russia Ekaterina Gubareva disappeared". Meduza.io. Meduza.io. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  24. ^ Roscoe, Matthew (2022-11-16). "BREAKING: Kherson Region deputy head Ekaterina Gubareva reportedly missing". Euro Weekly News. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  25. ^ Жена сепаратиста Губарева увлекается боксом и любит пострелять из оружия/ Gazeta.ua, 21 May 2014

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ekaterina Gubareva.
  • Ekaterina Gubareva's Facebook page.
  • Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPR
  • v
  • t
  • e
General
topicsTimeline
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • 2022
BattlesOther
eventsSelf-proclaimed
states
(Pro-)
Russian
Organizations
Lead figures
Ukrainian
Organizations
Lead figures