The so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have appointed Denis Pushilin as its new acting head, separatist sources report. He is the head of the republic’s so-called “people’s council” and is also the DPR representative in the Minsk contact group.

He takes over from Dmitry Trapeznikov, the republic’s “Prime Minister”, who came into the role after former leader Alexander Zakharchenko died in an explosion in occupied Donetsk city center on August 31.

READ MORE: Who is Now in Charge of Occupied Donetsk?

But just one week after the fatal explosion, the DPR “prosecutor general’s office” announced that Trapeznikov’s appointment went against the republic’s “constitution,” and the deputy chairman of the “council of ministers” should take on the role of acting head. However, no such role exists in the so-called DPR at present.

Elections for a new leader are set to take place on November 11 in occupied Donetsk.

READ MORE: 10 Facts About Alexander Zakharchenko, Occupied Donetsk Leader Killed in a Blast