Militant Oleksandr Khodakovsky essentially admitted that the "DNR" was initially a quasi-state. This is evident from his message on Telegram.
"In 2014, I... witnessed how powerful individuals made society a hostage to their strength", - he writes.
"At that time, disputes between powerful individuals were not resolved through lawsuits in an arbitration court but through tanks and Grad MLRS. And the bewildered society had no idea what the next day would bring", - Khodakovskiy characterizes the regime established in the uncontrolled territory of the Donetsk oblast.
According to the former SBU officer, he as a "quasi-minister of state security, along with a quasi-Minister of Internal Affairs at the time, did his best to restore balance and at least create the appearance of a system in the surrounding space".