Denis Pushilin: Case study of a separatist leader in the Ukraine conflict (2018–2022).

On 20 November 2018 Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin became the Head of the unrecognised Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine. Despite his numerous proclamations aligning him with the Kremlin's propaganda apparatus, his style and imagery differs from that of Vladimir Putin. To dissect Pushilin's constructed image we used a discourse analysis methodology focusing on primary sources such as speeches, songs, images, and photographs uploaded to either Pushilin's social media accounts or the DPR administration's official website. Our research analyses Pushilin's government from the day he assumed power until the 23 February 2022, with the onset of the war in Ukraine. Our analysis focuses on core aspects of his constructed image, such as nationalism, sports as well as gender and family politics. Our findings show that while Denis Pushilin does adhere to Kremlin directives when it comes to issues crucial to Moscow, he does enjoy certain freedom when it comes to his image construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]