Alexander Zakharchenko, Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and presidential candidate, speaks to media during a press conference in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on November 2, 2014. (AFP PHOTO)

KIEV, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Alexandr Zakharchenko, leader of the independence-seeking insurgents in Ukraine's Donetsk region, was killed on Friday in an explosion, local media reported.

The Ukrainian online media outlet Strana.ua, citing its sources, said that Zakharchenko's car blew up near a restaurant in Donetsk city.

The spokeswoman for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Olena Gitlyanska, in an interview to Interfax-Ukraine news agency, confirmed that Zakharchenko is dead.

"Regarding the death of Zakharchenko -- this is true. The SBU considers this a consequence of infighting, which has been long underway between the terrorists," Gitlyanska was quoted as saying.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that she has every reason to believe that Kiev was behind Zakharchenko's murder, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Zakharchenko, 42, was the self-styled "president" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. He was elected in November 2014 during "presidential elections", which were held in the insurgent-controlled areas in Ukraine's Donetsk and Lugansk regions amid harsh criticisms from Kiev.

Since April 2014, the insurgents in eastern Ukraine have been involved in the armed confrontation with Ukrainian government troops. The fighting claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people so far.