Collaborationist Pavlo Hubaev, who in 2014 proclaimed himself the “people's governor” of the occupied part of Donetsk region, sharply criticized Vladimir Putin. In his interview with Yuriy Dud, he accused the Kremlin leader of indecisiveness and claimed that this allegedly led to the prolonged war against Ukraine.
Hubaev’s Criticism of Putin: What He Said
According to Hubaev, after the occupation of Crimea in 2014, Russia should have immediately launched a full-scale operation in Donbas. He believes that the absence of such a decision was the reason for the prolonged conflict and significant losses.
In his speech, he stated: “The best solution would have been to send in troops… Just like in 22. If they had done it in 14, it would have been ideal – there wouldn’t have been this bloodshed.”
The collaborator also criticized Putin himself, calling him an accidental person in power:
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claims that Putin is “not in his place”
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calls him a “manager without authority”
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compares him to “petroshka” as a symbol of a puppet
At the same time, he noted that he no longer feels anger towards the Russian president, but has only re-evaluated his role.
Pavlo Hubaev and the War Against Ukraine: Background
Pavlo Hubaev was one of the active participants in pro-Russian protests in Donbas in the spring of 2014. At that time, he declared himself the “people's governor” and was engaged in recruiting militants for illegal formations.
After the creation of the so-called “DNR”, he did not gain real influence. Later, he fled to Russia, and in 2022 he joined the full-scale war against Ukraine.
In 2023, he became a participant in the so-called “Club of Angry Patriots,” which criticizes the leadership of the Russian Federation. The organization was founded by Igor Strelkov (Girkin), who in 2024 was sentenced to four years in prison for extremist calls.
Recently, an administrative protocol was drawn up against Hubaev in Russia for “discrediting” the army. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 20. He himself stated that he does not know the details of the accusation and called it “complete nonsense.”
It is worth recalling that Putin announced a ceasefire on Easter 2026.