Russian makes way for a Ukrainian as head of pro-Moscow rebels in Donetsk

An eastern Ukraine native has replaced a Russian as leader of separatists in their stronghold of Donetsk, a move aimed at blunting Western accusations the rebellion is being run by Moscow.

Aleksander Borodai, one of several Russian nationals in top roles among the rebels as the head of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DNR), said on Thursday he would now serve as deputy to the new leader, Alexander Zakharchenko.

"After all, I am a native of Moscow and I think the DNR should be run by a person who is body and soul of Donbass," Borodai said, referring to the wider Donetsk region.

Zakharchenko, sporting a green camouflage jacket, said he would go on fighting for the region's independence from Kiev.

A native of Donetsk in his late 30s, Zakharchenko commands a heavily armed rebel unit called Oplot, which has taken part in some of the fiercest battles and had its origins in a martial arts club.

He was among the first separatists to occupy the regional administration building in Donetsk after pro-Russian crowds captured it in March following the ousting of Viktor Yanukovych, the Moscow-allied president in Kiev, the previous month.