[5] Between 1999 and 2001, Gubarev was a member of the neo-Nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary group, that later took part in the war in Donbas on the side of pro-Russian forces.

[11] On 1 March 2014, pro-Russian citizens at a meeting in Lenin Square in the center of Donetsk elected Gubarev as governor of the region.

[12] On 3 March 2014, Gubarev led pro-Russian protesters who blockaded and occupied the Donetsk Regional State Administration building.

[17] On 7 May 2014, Gubarev and two other pro-Russian activists were freed in exchange for SBU officers, detained earlier by the Donbas People's Militia.

[18][19] Gubarev appeared in then separatist-held Slavyansk to give a defiant speech on Victory Day, calling for all 'Ukrainian Nazis to be eliminated'.

[27][28] However, Gubarev was excluded from standing after being accused of having forged signatures on his nomination papers, with it said that his candidacy had displeased Denis Pushilin, who at that time was acting head of the DNR, and favourite to take the post permanently, which he duly did.

[32] During his service there, he declared in an interview their goal to free from "possession" those who he considers to be Russians, even at the cost of killing them all, which would amount to genocide on Ukrainians.

Gubarev spoke in detail on how the Donetsk People's Republic was created and managed under full control of Moscow represented by Vladislav Surkov, with local members of the criminal fraternity appointed as its "officials", such as Alexander Zakharchenko.