Mikhail Tolstykh, commander of the Somali militant battalion of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), was blown up on Wednesday, a source in the DPR law enforcement authorities told Interfax.

"An explosion occurred in Toltsykh's office in Donetsk and a fire started. Givi was on the premises when this happened," the source said.

"He [Tolstykh] and his battalion have been defending Donetsk and participating in the hostilities in the Avdiyivka sector in recent days," the source said.