Donetsk, Oct 19 – DAN. About two thousand people today gathered in central Donetsk to pay last respect to the DPR Hero, armed forces Colonel Arsen Pavlov best known under his nom de guerre Motorola, who died on October 16.
The farewell ceremony started at around 10 a.m. local time (UTC+03:00) in the premises of Donetsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the coffin placed in the hall. DPR Head Alexander Zakharchenko and acting Foreign Minister Natalya Nikonorova paid their last tribute before the lying-in-state ceremony.
Police closed traffic on the city central Artem street to allow the queue of people to say farewell to the hero.
"The tragedy united people. If Kiev wanted to break us down, they failed. People come together, the flow of people who have come today proves it," said DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin speaking at the ceremony.
The burial is to take place later today.
Arseniy Pavlov was killed on October, 16th in the blast of an explosive device planted in the hallway of the block of flats in central Donetsk where he lived. Investigation is led by the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of State Security. A three day mourning was announced on October 17th.
