Pro-Russian Ukrainian leader killed because of business dealings in coal in the Donbass

Russia's Investigative Committee has offered further insight into the killing of pro-Russian Ukrainian leader and head of Oplot Yevgeny Zilin in Moscow on Monday, suggesting that his business dealings in coal in the Donbass as the most liking motive behind his murder. This hypothesis has been confirmed by the testimony of Andrei Kozyrev, who was with Zhilin, bore witness to the latter's murder, and was badly injured himself.

Kozyrev said that had met Zhilin on Monday at a restaurant called Veterok. The men were waiting for the arrival of a third person with whom Zhilin was to discuss the coal mines of Donbass. It is presumed that this third person was Zhilin's killer.

A source familiar with Zhilin told the newspaper Kommersant that the leader had recently engaged in semi-legal schemes to supply the Donbass Region with gasoline and diesel fuel and to export its coal to Ukraine and Russia. Investigators have also learnt that Zhilin had been lending large sums of money recently.

Earlier, the Investigative Committee identified business dealings as the most likely reason behind the leader's death, but did not specify the precise field of activity. Another hypothesis, was that a hostile relationship had been the cause of the killing, though the business-related version of events remained most likely, said investigators.

The Investigative Committee also established that Zilin's murderer was under disguise: he had a false mustache, a panama hat, and glasses with yellow lenses.

Yevgeny Zilin, leader of pro-Russian Ukrainian organization Oplot, was shot dead in a restaurant called Veterok on the Rublevo-Uspensky highway in Moscow on Monday. The killer left almost no evidence; even shells could not be found at the scene of the crime.

Zhilin and Oplot played an active role in the events in Kiev in the winter 2013-2014. In his own words, he help to quell the "invasion of nationalists from the west of the country" through the use of violence, among other tactics. He was also involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of separatists.

Zhilin was wanted in Ukraine.