A rebel commander in eastern Ukraine was killed Feb 8. Mikhail Tolstykh, known by the codename Givi, was reportedly targeted by a Schmel anti-tank missile at his office in Donetsk just after 6 a.m. local time. Givi played an influential role as a military leader of the Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine, participating in key battles at the Donetsk airport and, most recently, in the city of Avdiivka . Separatist leaders quickly blamed Ukraine for assassinating Givi, and a spokesman for the Donetsk People's Republic said the attack was organized by the Ukrainian intelligence services. Givi's murder was notable for its timing, just four days after a defense official of the Luhansk People's Republic was killed in a car bombing. It also comes just a few months after another rebel military commander known as Motorola was killed in an apparent hit in October.